A Ghost Story
by DreamsToHeart
Summary: During a confrontation with his archenemy, Danny passes some harsh judgment on Vlad that the older half-ghost hybrid cannot accept, and Danny finds out that there is much more to Vlad than he could have ever imagined. Nobody is ever born the villain, and Vlad Masters is no exception. This is his story.
1. The Whole Truth

**Summary:** In a confrontation with his archenemy, Danny passes some harsh judgment on Vlad that the older hybrid cannot accept, and Danny finds out that there is much more to Vlad than he could have ever imagined. Because nobody is ever born the villain; Vlad Masters is no exception. This is his story.

 **A/N:** Originally I started writing this story on the side as a kind of personal creative outlet, but I decided recently that perhaps I would share it here with you all! I have a section of this story written; I am approaching the end of the first arc (I have three planned). Granted, I had an outline, but as it always goes with writing, things are being added and it looks like this story may be longer than I had originally anticipated. I have an ending in mind, but I've given myself quite a bit of liberty with how the story gets there. I'll see how it goes, I suppose! If the first few chapters are received well enough, I will certainly be more motivated to continue writing, so please feel free to leave a review after reading. I welcome any feedback and constructive criticism!

I hope you enjoy!

 **A side note:** This story takes place sometime during the second season of the show, before Kindred Spirits (so no Danielle, no cloning, and nothing from season three).

Also, this story does have a T rating. Not so much for the first arc of the story, but more for some events that will occur during the second and the third (and final) arcs. So I decided to mark the story as T to be safe.

 **Disclaimer:** I do not own Danny Phantom or any of its characters.

* * *

 **Chapter 1: The Whole Truth**

 _Tap… Tap… Tap.._

Dark.

 _Tap… Tap…. Tap…_

Cold.

 _Tap… Tap… Tap…_

Empty.

His black, polished shoes make sharp, distinct clicks as he walked across the shiny, marbled floors of the foyer of his mansion. The sounds echoed loudly, making the house seem bigger all while making him feel smaller.

Now, Vlad Masters was not a man who could easily be made to feel small. To the world, he was a man larger than life. His homes were large, his riches were enormous, and his pride was even more so. His parents had long written him off, but he had risen above them all and built himself an empire from the ashes. The name Masters was synonymous with success and fortune; it was the name that everybody in the business world knew and the name that every business owner dreamed of being associated with. Vlad had started from nothing but had quickly climbed the rungs of the business ladder and now he stood at the top. He had succeeded where so many had failed.

 _Success? How can you call what you did success? Your companies are founded on lies and manipulation! Your riches stem from theft! If that's the kind of success you're trying to offer me, then forget it, I don't want it!_

Vlad growled and stopped suddenly, clenching his fists as Daniel's words from earlier that day suddenly reverberated through his mind.

* * *

The street was a mess. Dirt and rumble was strewn all around and dust clung to the air, so much that Vlad could barely make out Danny on the ground, struggling to rise from the small crater that he had created when Vlad had thrown him viciously from the sky.

Vlad flew down to where Danny knelt, a devilish grin on his face. "Had enough, Daniel?" Vlad asked mockingly. "Have I beaten some sense into you yet? Perhaps now you will listen to my proposition calmly and quietly, like a good boy?"

Danny looked up from the ground, his glowing, green eyes glaring up at his arch enemy. "Listen to you? Why should I listen to you? What you want is sick and twisted!" Danny stood up to face Vlad. His arm held his injured side, but that didn't prevent him from giving his adversary a disgusted look. "Look Plasmius, I've said it a billion times, but I'll say it again because maybe your old age has made you deaf."

Vlad's eyes narrowed dangerously at the insult, but Danny continued, "You'll never get my mom, I'll never let you hurt my dad, and I can personally guarantee that you'll never get me to come on to your side either! Your lies and schemes may have gotten you rich and famous, but it sure as hell won't get you anything more than that!"

Vlad scoffed. "Oh please, Daniel, you speak with such naiveté, even for a boy your age. You think lies and manipulation to be bad, but believe me — because I speak from experience — honesty gets you absolutely nowhere. If you want to succeed in life, boy, then I best suggest you take up my offer and join me."

Danny scoffed. "Success? How can you call what you did success? Your companies are founded on lies and manipulation! Your riches stem from theft! If that's the kind of success you're trying to offer me, then forget it, I don't want it!" Vlad open his mouth angrily, but Danny kept going. "Plasmius, you are so absolutely messed up, I don't know why I even bother!" Danny turned around and waved his hand dismissively in Vlad's direction. "Look, if we're done here, I'm already late for school. In the mean time, maybe get your head checked, I think the accident that gave you your ghost powers might have also messed up your brai—"

Before Danny could even blink, a black-gloved hand whipped him across the face and he was thrown back several metres before he smashing into the brick wall of a nearby apartment. He gasped as his head struck the wall behind him, and his vision swam. Coughing, he grabbed his aching head, trying to clear the stars he was seeing.

 _Crunch. Crunch._

Danny looked up suddenly at the sound of footsteps, a painful twinge shooting through his skull, and he saw a shadow coming closer through the dust. Then suddenly Vlad was in front of him, grabbing the neck of his suit and slamming Danny up against the wall.

Vlad's eyes burned a bloody red. Danny realized with slight apprehension that he may have crossed some sort of line.

"How dare you talk to me like that, you impudent little brat!" Vlad growled viciously, ignoring Daniel's gasp as he pushed him harder into the wall. "You toss around your words so carelessly! How DARE you make a joke out of the accident that ruined my life!?" Vlad forcibly threw Danny aside and Danny once again hit the ground hard, groaning.

Danny pushed himself onto all fours as Vlad walked over. He knelt down and grabbed Danny's chin, forcing the boy to look up at him. "Now boy, if you know what's good for you, you'll watch your mouth around me, because next time I won't be nearly as lenient." With a finally shove and an ectoblast to the chest of the younger hybrid for good measure, Vlad stood up and began to walk away.

But Danny was sick of Vlad.

Sick of his big talk and pompous attitude.

Sick of always being beat on and looked down upon.

Sick of Vlad always stamping on his morals and calling him naive, weak and pathetic for trying to do the right thing.

Danny rose to his feet, and pointed an accusing finger at Vlad. "Oh, so you're just going to walk away then, Plasmius?! Figures! You've lived dishonestly your whole life, of course even the way you fight is dirty! Come back here, Plasmius, we're not done!"

Vlad snorted derisively as he continued to walk away. "I have no desire to continue fighting someone in such a pathetic state as yourself."

Danny whipped his arm through the air in frustration and continued to shout: "I'm pathetic!? Look at you! We've both been through the same thing, Vlad! We've both experienced the same accident that flipped our lives completely upside down! But you know what the difference between you and me is? I had the strength and chose to take the high road! Lies, manipulation, dishonesty — that's the easy way out!"

Vlad stopped dead in his tracks. A moment passed, the only sound being Danny's heavy breathing. Then Vlad whispered, his voice so quiet that even with his enhanced hearing, Danny strained to catch his words, "You think you can just compare yourself to me, Daniel? You think that what happened to you even comes close to what I experienced after your idiot of a father caused the accident that gave me these abilities?" His tone was even but his words trembled with anger.

Danny's eyes flashed green and he clenched his fists. "My father isn't an idiot, Plasmius! That's all you." Danny growled angrily.

Vlad continued as if he hadn't heard the younger hybrid. "You can't even fathom how lucky you are, Daniel. You had friends who supported you. Later, once your sister found out about your ghost powers, you had her support. You had a home. You had everything provided to you. You weren't alone, like I was."

Danny let out a growl, running his hands through his white hair in frustration. "You know what Vlad? You piss me off whenever you talk about how you were 'all alone'. You weren't alone! You had my parents, but your bitter attitude pushed them away! Hell, you probably had other friends and a family, but based on your history, you probably pushed them all away too, seeing as all you ever seem to do is PUSH PEOPLE AWAY!"

Vlad whipped around and opened his mouth angrily, but Danny cut him off. "Here's an idea Vlad!" Danny yelled sarcastically. "I know this may sound absolutely crazy to you, but maybe, just maybe, you should try taking responsibility for your actions and the way you turned out instead of pinning the blame on everybody else!"

Dead silence was Danny's clue that this time he had _definitely_ crossed a line.

The expression on Vlad's face was murderous. Any remaining composure drained away from his face leaving it completely puce, his eyes darkening maddeningly. Danny took a step back at the look in Vlad's eyes. Danny had seen Vlad angry before — of course he had, they fought on a weekly basis — but he had never seen that look in Vlad's eyes directed at him. A look of pure hatred.

"H-hey Vlad, look," Danny started nervously, taking a few steps back with his hands in front of him, trying to distance himself from Vlad. "I didn't mean that, I was ju— whoa!" Danny cried as a hot blast nearly scorched him.

Danny made to take flight, but then Vlad, having teleported over, was suddenly there, grabbing onto this arm and slamming Danny viciously into the ground. Vlad kicked at Danny's chest, but the younger hybrid went intangible and sank through the pavement. Vlad whipped around, snarling as he looked around for the boy. His internal ghost sense warned him just in time and Vlad spun around to block a punch from Danny, who had materialized behind him.

"Vlad, calm down, I said I'm sor—" Danny started but was cut off by an ectoplasmic blast to the shoulder. Danny cried out, the blast burning painfully, and dodged a second and third attack aimed this time for his head. In defence, Danny formed a shield, but Vlad's fourth blast shattered it. The young hybrid gasped in shock; Vlad was angry beyond reason, something clear in his enemy's bright, wild red eyes.

Danny knew that he couldn't take down an enraged Vlad in his current injured state. His only way out of this was to go intangible and fly away as fast as possible. Unfortunately for him, Vlad also realized this.

"Oh no you don't, brat, I'm not done with you!" Vlad snarled and teleported in front of Daniel, grabbed his throat and lifted him high in the air.

Danny gasped, desperately trying to pry away the fingers at his throat, but Vlad held him with an iron grip. "Let g-go, Vlad" Danny grunted, squeezing his eyes shut against the pain.

But Vlad ignored him, and with a savage laugh, very much unlike any sound Danny had ever heard him make, Vlad let a torrent of electricity tear down his arm into Danny's throat. Danny let out a strangled scream, but Vlad only relentlessly increased the energy he was driving into the young ghost boy.

After what seemed like hours for the young hybrid, Vlad threw Danny to the ground. Danny clutched at his throat, gasping in pain while trying to push away the black that was creeping around the edges of his vision. Danny knew he couldn't pass out now, not with Vlad in such a rage. Vlad would kill him.

Danny froze suddenly, eyes widening in horror at his realization.

At this rate, Vlad would actually _kill_ him.

The young hybrid looked up at his adversary just in time to see Vlad pull back his fist as wild, dark magenta energy gathered in his hand. With a cry of rage, he swung his hand down at the younger hybrid lying on the ground before him. Danny raised both arms, palms out, in a desperate attempt to form a shield. He braced for impact.

But the impact never came.

Danny looked up incredulously at Vlad, an expression of confusion etched on his face. Vlad stood before him, energy still crackling menacingly in a fist frozen in mid-swing. Danny held his breath, waiting for Vlad to unfreeze and come at him again… but he didn't.

Vlad lowered his arm, cursing under his breath. He couldn't do it. Why couldn't he do it? The little rat had asked for it! He deserved everything he was getting. So why couldn't he do it?!

Vlad turned his back on Danny, breathing hard, fists still clenched in anger. The two hybrids stayed in their respective positions in complete silence.

One minute passed. Five minutes passed. Yet neither of the two dared to move.

It was Vlad who broke the silence. "You say you know me, Daniel. You think you know who I am and you dare insinuate that you understand me," Vlad whispered, his words laced with anger and something else that Danny couldn't quite place. "What you have is tidbits. Little facts about me that you have twisted and strung haphazardly together in an attempt to create this— this villainous image of me. So you can justify your actions against me. By creating this image of me that I am irredeemable and immoral and a monster of a human being, you then compare yourself to that image and you can therefore call yourself the hero."

Vlad turned around and Danny flinched, expecting another brutal assault. But that was no longer on Vlad's mind.

"But you don't know me Daniel. Don't presume that you know anything about me, because most of what you think is true is just a convenient lie you, your family and your friends have fabricated." Vlad finished, and once again there was quiet, until:

"So why haven't you ever told me the truth?"

Vlad scoffed bitterly. "Because you never bothered to ask."

"I'm asking now."

Vlad sighed, and looked up at the sky as he said sombrely,"No, Daniel. If I told you now, I fear you'd only hate me even more."

And then quite suddenly, the older hybrid disappeared, leaving the young hybrid sitting in the rubble.

* * *

Vlad shook his head as he walked, trying to clear the memories of earlier that day. But no matter how hard he tried to think of something else, the memories kept coming back.

Vlad entered his bedroom and walked over to his large mahogany desk. The older hybrid walked down its length, fingers trailing along the polished wood. The desk was mostly unused by Vlad, seeing as he preferred to work in his study, but his fingers picked up no dust. His hand stopped at a set of drawers built into the end of the desk. He opened the second drawer from the top. Inside were some pens and highlighters, along with a few pads of legal paper, but Vlad paid no attention to them. He slipped his hand into the drawer and felt along the sides. Then he found it, a small nub right by the back top corner. He pressed it, and heard a distinct click as a hidden side compartment opened. Vlad reached inside and grabbed hold of the object of his search.

A book.

Once a shiny, black leather, an old gift from one of his former relatives, the book was now faded, its corners worn and frayed. Holding it tightly, as one would a lifeline, Vlad sat in the armchair in front of the desk. He placed the book gently on his desk, and hunched over it slightly, suddenly very weary. Because this wasn't any old book. This was his journal.

His life story, every important event that had built him into the person he was today, was contained in this faded, leather journal. From his later childhood, to his college days, to his accident, to all those years spent in and out of the hospital. Ever happiness, every sadness, every love and every betrayal was held in the pages of this book.

Since he had received this journal at the young age of fourteen, it had been an outlet for Vlad. Even when computers became popular and everything became documented on a hard drive, Vlad always went back to his journal. Perhaps it was the because of the old-fashioned influence from his former parents; perhaps it was because he considered other forms of recording his memories to be too impersonal. Perhaps it was a mix of both.

Vlad opened it carefully, the pages crinkling softly under his delicate touch as he skimmed the thick journal. He skipped through the beginning, skipping through the entries dating back to his years of private tutoring and boarding school during his adolescence.

The last entry in the journal dated back to the day he had left the hospital for the last time. Since that day, he had never opened the journal in an attempt to bury the hurtful memories of the past. But as much as he had wished to destroy it, he was never able to bring himself to do it. Because, as much as he didn't want to admit it to himself, this journal was a physical reminder of who he was. It was a reminder of what he had been through. It was an anchor to his sanity, a justification of how he had turned out.

Suddenly, Vlad stopped skimming. The date in the right-hand corner of the page was still clear, written in black ink, referring to a day twenty-five years in the past. The day his fate was sealed and his life was changed forever.

His first day at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

With a burdened sigh, Vlad gave in to the memories.

He opened the book.

And he began to read.

* * *

 **A/N:** I've always found Vlad to be a fascinating character, but the show never went into much detail regarding his past asides from, of course, the accident during his college days. I really wanted to give Vlad more of a backstory that would add to his character, further explain some of his motives and reasoning, and provide a more in-depth explanation as to why he became the way he is in the show. The goal isn't to justify his actions, by any means... but rather to give more insight on what exactly happened in his life that twisted his morals so much. This first chapter is an introduction that includes both of our favourite hybrids, but the majority of the story does focus on Vlad's past!

Thanks for reading, stay tuned for updates!


	2. An Encounter

**A/N:** Hey everyone! Since I start my winter semester in two days, I wanted to get one more update out before work and readings start piling up again! Since I've already written the first several chapters of this story, ideally I'd like to be able to post a new chapter every week or two weeks this semester, though it's likely my updating may become slightly more sporadic around midterms, and then again around finals. I will do my best, though!

Thanks to those who reviewed the last chapter! It makes my day to receive positive feedback from readers, so thank you!

So in this chapter, we start Vlad's story! I hope you enjoy!

* * *

 **Chapter 2: An Encounter**

The sunlight danced and twinkled across the serene water surface. Boats glided gently down the bay. Birds sang sweetly and the wind whispered quietly as it weaved between the leaves of trees, causing them to rustle faintly. It was early in the morning, but the campus of the University of Wisconsin-Madison was already starting to fill with the sounds of laughter and happy exclamations from the students who had arrived early for residence move-in day.

The sound of crunching gravel filled the air as a long, black limo pulled up to the doors of Residence 3. The driver stepped out and walked around to the passenger seat, opening the door. A black-haired boy of eighteen stepped out of the vehicle, his midnight-blue eyes squinting as they adjusted to the bright sun. He dressed smartly in black dress pants and a light-coloured dress shirt rolled up at his elbows. He clutched a leather briefcase in his left hand. The driver went around the back and pulled out a suitcase. Dragging it over to the boy, the driver then stopped and held out his right hand.

"Good luck, Mr. Masters," the driver said formally, but kindly.

The young Vlad Masters took his hand and they shook. "Thank you, Henry. I appreciate you driving me down here. My parents obviously could not make it, but it is nice to have at least one person seeing me off today."

But the driver, having been with the Masters' family since Vlad was an infant, did not miss the bitterness in Vlad's voice.

"Sir, your parents are incredibly proud of you, —"

 _If they are it is not something that they are quick to express,_ Vlad thought.

"— and I am sure they would have loved to be here with you—"

 _For some reason I doubt that._

" — but your mother is still out of the country on very important business — "

 _If a spa vacation with her friends in Switzerland is considered 'important business'._

"— and your father is —"

"Busy working," Vlad sighed wearily, cutting Henry off. "I know."

The driver looked at Vlad, a sad look in his eyes. "I'm sorry, dear boy. But you will be fine. You always have been."

Vlad frowned at the look of pity in his driver's eyes. "Of course I am fine, Henry," he said curtly. "Again, thank you for driving."

The driver sighed quietly, then looked up at Vlad with a small smile on his face. "It was my pleasure. Do you need help taking your suitcase up to your bedroom?"

"No, I can manage. Good-bye, Henry."

"Have a good first term then, young Mr. Masters."

Henry walked back around to the limo, opened the front door and slipped into the driver's seat. Vlad stood at the bottom of the steps of Residence 3 as he watched the limo pull away and disappear down the road. Then Vlad was left alone.

Vlad stared up at the tall building that was to be his home for at least the next year. It was a newer building, but it had been built to match the older residences on campus. The light-grey stone exterior and the green ivy creeping up the sides of the building gave it a certain charm.

With a quiet grunt, Vlad lifted up his large suitcase and lugged it up the stairs and into the building. Inside, he found an older woman sitting behind the front desk. There, he signed in and received his room key, which read 'Three-West'.

"You'll love it on Three-West," the lady at the front desk said cheerfully. "It's a quieter wing, and it has an incredible view of the bay. You're one of the first ones to arrive here, but the other students should be coming soon. In the meantime, you'll have some quiet time to unpack."

Vlad couldn't help but give the lady a half-smile at her kindness, despite his rather dampened mood. "Thank you very much, I appreciate your help."

"Of course, dear," the lady said, smiling at Vlad. "Hold on, I have a few things I still need to give you." She walked over to a large cabinet; a moment later she returned with a small pile of papers. Walking out from behind the desk, she made her way over to Vlad. However, she suddenly slipped and gave a startled cry as she tumbled forwards, papers scattering in the air.

Vlad gasped and quickly made to catch her before she hit the ground. He lifted her up and steadied her carefully. "Are you alright?" he asked, concerned.

"Oh, yes, thanks to you, dear!" She gasped, leaning against the desk and holding a hand to her chest as she caught her breath.

Vlad bent down to pick up the scattered papers and handed them to the lady. "Here you are, ma'am."

The lady blushed faintly, clearly charmed. "Well aren't you a kind boy! It's nice to see boys your age with such manners; your parents obviously raised you right!"

Vlad's smile suddenly disappeared. "Is there anything else that needs to be signed?" Vlad asked rather coolly.

The lady looked at him quizzically, noting his sudden change in demeanour. "No, that's it my dear. But here are some papers you might find useful. They include a map of the residence building, a map of the campus, the cafeteria schedule, the orientation week schedule — "

Vlad began to tune her out. He knew she was trying to help, but he was just incredibly tired. The drive from his parents' estate in Maryland had taken many longer hours. He and Henry had actually arrived to Madison the night before and had spent the night at a hotel, but Vlad hadn't slept very well. Now, he just wanted to get settled in and finally have some peace and quiet.

" — and here you'll find the hours of operation for the athletic recreation centre. Oh, and —"

"Alright, thank you very much," Vlad said, cutting her off. The lady looked hurt, so Vlad gave her an apologetic smile to placate her. "I'm sorry, it's been a long last few days. I'm honestly just very tired and I was hoping to get some downtime before everybody else arrives."

Vlad's words had the effect that he had wanted on her; the lady smiled at him again, and handed over the papers in her hands.

"Of course, dear, go get yourself settled in. I really hope you enjoy your stay here!"

Vlad took the papers. "Me too."

With that, Vlad grabbed his suitcase and made his way up to the third floor, where he found his room — 3032.

Two hours later, Vlad was done unpacking and organizing. He sat down on his soft, double bed with a tired sigh. Suddenly, he didn't know what to do with himself. Vlad wished it had taken him longer to get settled, but most of his stuff had in fact been shipped over to his room and unpacked for him over a week ago. Move-in day wasn't until today, but his parents had pulled a few strings and had gotten most of Vlad's belongings delivered early. His parents had said that the dean of the business faculty was a good friend of theirs and was able to help out, but Vlad was certain that a handsome donation to the school had been involved.

 _It's funny how they went through so much trouble to make sure their son's_ stuff _moved in early but couldn't be bothered to make the trip down today to help their son himself move-in,_ Vlad thought scoffingly.

Vlad looked around the room, taking it in. The residence had just been opened that year, and the lacquered chestnut furniture still gleamed with newness. The walls were painted a pale blue, and wind blew in gently through a tall window to Vlad's right, dark blue curtains fluttering lightly in the breeze. The bed on which Vlad was now sitting lay against the wall opposite to the desk, and a dresser and closet were found near the foot of the bed. All-in-all, it was a small but handsome room.

Yet, no posters adorned the walls, no trinkets or memorabilia decorated the shelves of his bookcase, and no photographs sat on the night table next to Vlad's bed.

The room was impersonal.

Now, Vlad's parents had certainly offered to ship in expensive paintings, fancy carpets and other over-the-top pieces to decorate the room with, but Vlad had coldly refused the offer. He didn't care for such extravagant things, and he certainly didn't want to be labeled as a complete snob by everybody on his floor. For once, he wanted to be known simply as Vlad Masters, instead of Mr. and Mrs. Masters' heir to a multi-million dollar business. He was his own person, and he was certainly _not_ his parents.

With a frustrated growl, Vlad wrenched himself up from his bed. Clearly, unpacking had not distracted him from his foul mood as much as he had hoped. He made his way out the door, closing it roughly behind him.

Once outside, Vlad looked around as he walked along the campus. He saw laughing parents and students sitting at picnic benches, having one last family lunch before the start of a new semester. Further along, he noted a group of boys his age throwing a frisbee back and forth on the freshly cut grass of one of the school's soccer terrains. One of the boys even waved Vlad over as he passed them, but Vlad simply raised his arm in greeting and continued on, not in the mood to play.

Twenty minutes later, Vlad found himself sitting on a bench by the bay under the shade of a large willow tree, watching a nearby parking lot as more students and their parents piled out of cars. One particular family caught his eye…

They were a small family of three — mother, father, and son. _Just like mine,_ Vlad noted subconsciously. But in reality, they couldn't have been more different than Vlad's family. The mother was short and thin, with tousled, wavy light brown hair and green eyes that sparkled when she smiled. The father, on the other hand, was large and brawny; not fat, but rather powerfully built. From a distance, the son looked exactly like a younger copy of the father, from his dark hair to his large build to his booming laugh. As Vlad watched the family interact, words like 'warm', 'loving' and 'caring' came to mind. This was a happy family… _Most different from my own,_ Vlad concluded bitterly.

Vlad got up from the bench and began to make his way through the parking lot back towards his residence. As he passed near the happy family, he caught a snippet of their conversation:

"— don't forget to eat lots of fruits and vegetables, and brush your teeth at night!" the mother was exclaiming, as she hugged her son.

The son laughed good-naturedly. "Of course Mom, don't worry about me!" The mother smiled and gave him another tight squeeze.

The father now turned to his son and clasped his arm. "Have a great time, my boy! Study hard, but enjoy yourself! And never forget son, that we are both so proud of you."

The son smiled. "Thanks, Dad."

"We love you so much!" the mother exclaimed, and she went to kiss her son on the cheek.

"Moooom!" The son complained in mock distress, but his smile never wavered.

Vlad squeezed his hands into fists before shoving them deep into his pockets. Seeing this family saying good-bye to their son reminded him of how his own parents had sent him off the day before…

* * *

Vlad walked down the staircase into the foyer of his house, his footsteps piercing through the deafening silence of the room. He peered around the grand room, taking in the precious paintings, the expensive marble columns, the spotless white carpets and the gleaming marble floors. He knew that he wouldn't be back until next summer. Not that his bothered him very much - he had spent more time away than at home over the last six years. His former boarding school in England had been more of a home to him than this cold mansion had ever been.

Vlad looked back as he reached the main door. He sighed heavily as he peered around, but neither parent was there to say good-bye. He shouldn't have been surprised, but he hadn't been able to squash that seedling of hope that his parents would change their minds and come to see their only son off to university.

 _But of course, the family business came first,_ Vlad thought bitterly. His mother was away in Switzerland, and knowing his father, he was probably already at the office yelling at some poor employee over some sort of minor incompetence.

Yet, as Vlad reached for the door handle to see himself out, he heard a deep, commanding voice call out from behind him.

"Vladimir!"

The boy in question turned around and saw his father, dressed as immaculately as ever in a crisp black suit and tie, approaching him.

"Father!" Vlad said, startled. "I thought you were at the office! Have you changed your mind, then? Are you coming with me to the school?"

His father shook his head in annoyance. "Vladimir, you are eighteen and no longer a child, I do not need to coddle you anymore. All of your stuff has already been moved in, there is absolutely no need for my presence at your school. I do not have time to take such pointless vacations. Time is money, boy, you know that."

Vlad's face became impassive and his voice stony. "Yes of course, sometimes I forget that your money is more important to you than your own son."

His father's eyes narrowed dangerously. "Watch your mouth boy, I will not have you speak to me in that insolent tone!"

Vlad bristled, but he knew that there was no point in wasting his time and energy by starting an argument. Instead, he asked coldly, "So what did you want to tell me before I left? Henry is already in the car, I don't want to keep him waiting."

His father looked down the bridge of his nose at his son, frowning. "When you get to the University of Wisconsin, I want you to remember to behave. Remember Vladimir, you are a Masters; your actions reflect on the entire family. Never forget that."

 _How could I forget?_ Vlad thought angrily. _You only remind me every other day._ But out loud he said, "Yes father, of course. I would never want to do anything to tarnish your reputation."

Either his father did not notice that his son's words dripped with sarcasm, or chose to ignore it. He held out his hand expectedly. Vlad stared down at it, momentarily considering not taking it. He briefly imagined himself turning his back on his father and slamming the front door behind him. Vlad looked back up at his father, who had noticed his son's hesitation. He stared down at him ominously, eyes daring him to further challenge his authority. And boy did Vlad consider it.

But in the end, he shook his father's hand in good-bye. He walked out the front door, quietly closing it behind him. As he climbed into the car and told the driver that he was ready to leave, his insides burned with anger. Anger at himself for being so weak. Because despite his snarky comments and cold remarks, he knew that he did not have the courage to truly stand up to his father.

* * *

The memory left a bitter taste in his mouth.

Vlad scowled and looked away from the happy family to his left, just as the mother went to hug her son one last time. Vlad could hardly remember the last time he had hugged his mother that way; he must have still been a young child. He thrust his hands deeper into his pockets as he walked on. A moment later, however, he heard the rev of an engine and saw the blue van drive away out of the corner of his eye.

"Hey!"

Vlad continued to walk, ignoring the voice.

"Hey, you in the dress shirt, wait up!"

Vlad looked around for somebody else wearing a dress shirt, and realized that he was the only one in the area. He turned around to see the boy from the parking lot stumbling towards him, weighed down by three suitcases and a giant box of… wait, were those cookies?

Vlad gaped at the other boy. He hadn't really gotten a good look at him earlier, but now Vlad stood there, taking in his appearance: black, unruly long hair, bright blue eyes, baggy jeans, and a green and gold football jersey. And currently the boy had the biggest, dumbest grin plastered on his face as he stood in front of Vlad.

"Hey, I don't suppose you know where Residence 3 is, do you?" the boy asked cheerfully.

Vlad continued to stare at him, not really knowing what to make of this person who had out of the blue decided to come over and greet him.

The other boy just stood in front of Vlad, now looking at him a bit uncertainly. "Er… you do speak English, right?"

Vlad shook himself out of his reverie, an annoyed look plastered on his face. "Yes, of course I speak English."

"Oh great! So… Residence 3? Mind pointing me in the right direction?"

Vlad sighed, and waved his hand. "Come, I'll walk you, I was going there anyways."

The boy's smile lit up even brighter, if that was possible. "Hey, thanks man! You're awesome!"

"…" Vlad wasn't sure what to say in response to that.

But the other boy was not put off by Vlad's silence as they walked towards the residence in question.

"So, what's your name?"

"… Vladimir Masters."

The boy snorted. "Vladimir? Jeez, how old fashioned are your parents?"

Vlad shot him an annoyed look. "My grandparents on my father's side were Russian - they were the ones who named me." Wait, why did he just tell him that? He was a stranger, Vlad had no obligation to explain personal matters to him.

But the other boy went right on, manners evidently not something he was overly familiar with. "Can I call you Vlad instead?"

"Sure." _If it will get you to stop talking_.

Of course, it didn't.

"So, are you in Residence 3 as well?"

"… Yes."

"Hey, that's fantastic! Maybe we're floormates!"

 _Please no,_ Vlad thought.

"What floor are you on?"

"… Three-West."

The other boy suddenly stopped and spun around to face Vlad, grinning wildly again. "No way! Me too, man!"

 _Damn._

"I was hoping to get into Residence 5 - much closer to the cafeteria - but I guess Residence 3 will be great too. Man, the view is going to be fantastic! That's why I chose this school, ya know? The bay is incredible! In the summer we can go swimming, fishing, and—"

The boy continued to blather on but Vlad tuned him out. _Did he ever stop talking?_ Vlad thought irritably. He wasn't used to all of this chatter. At his former boarding school, his friends had been just like him - quiet, refined and polite. But this boy… He spoke loudly, even though Vlad was walking right beside him. He gestured animately as he spoke, despite the fact that he was weighed down by all of his luggage. And he was so… _happy_. And for heaven's sake, did he ever stop talking?

"— suppose that wasn't the best idea, because the next morning we found a family of racoons in the RV and they had eaten through all of the fudge—"

"We're here." Vlad said suddenly, interrupting the other boy's monologue as they reached the doors of Residence 3.

"Oof, that's a relief, my arms are about to fall off!"

Before Vlad could voice the improbability of that actually happening, he stumbled back with an _oof!_ as the other boy thrust a suitcase into Vlad's unexpecting arms.

"Do you mind helping me with this? These bags are way too heavy!" the boy said as he shuffled around his remaining suitcases, trying to get a better grip on his stuff.

Vlad grumbled, "You know, normally you ask a person _before_ shoving a suitcase at them."

The other boy laughed loudly, and slapped Vlad on the back. Vlad gasped as he was pushed forward by the strength of the hit, but the other boy was completely oblivious to this as he opened the door to the building and let himself in.

Vlad stumbled inside after the other boy, and stared with something akin to shock as he watched him approach the front desk to get his room key. _Did he just have the audacity… to throw a suitcase at me?_

Now equipped with his key, the other boy walked back over to Vlad. "Alright, to the third floor!"

Suddenly Vlad had enough. "I am not a pack mule! If you want me to help you then I expect you to at least show me some respect!" Vlad snapped angrily.

The other boy seemed taken back. "Hey man, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to offend ya! I think we got off on the wrong foot. Here, let's try this again." The boy put down his luggage and held out his hand, grinning. "Hi, my name is Jack Fenton. I'm one of your new floormates! Do you mind helping me carry my stuff upstairs?"

Vlad looked at Jack's extended hand, and then back at Jack's face. He sighed, anger melting away into weariness. Based on the goofy expression on Jack's face, Vlad realized he was being sincere. He took Jack's hand and shook it.

"Hello Jack, it's… been interesting to meet you." Vlad said, finally. "And fine, I can help."

That was obviously good enough for Jack. "Alright, let's go then!" he exclaimed, as he bounded up the stairs with two suitcases in his right arm and the box of cookies in his left.

Vlad shook his head as he trudged up the stairs after him. How Jack had that much energy, Vlad did not know.

Finally, they reached Floor Three-West. As Vlad caught up to Jack, he realized where the other boy had stopped — right across from his own room. Vlad groaned. _Just my luck_.

Jack also seemed to notice the name card on the door across from his room. "Hey Vlad, we're living right across from each other! This is going to be fun!"

"Not sure if that's exactly how I would describe it," Vlad muttered.

Jack chuckled, and shot Vlad a thumbs up with one hand as he unlocked his door with the other. "You're right, Vladdie-my-man, 'fun' is the wrong word — it'll be a complete blast!"

Jack gave Vlad one last smile followed by a "see you later!" before closing his door, leaving Vlad standing alone in the hallway, slightly shell-shocked. Then, blinking slowly, Vlad turned around, and walked into his own room. Had somebody walked by at that moment, they might have heard him utter a disturbed " '… _Vladdie-my-man?' "_ as he closed his door behind him.

Inside his room, Vlad leaned against the wall and looked up at the ceiling in disbelief. He did not understand this other boy! He was loud, he was obnoxious, he was oblivious, he was exuberant and unnaturally cheerful, and he rambled on and on and on! He could only imagine what his pompous father would say if he met the boy living across the hall from him.

" _Absolutely disgraceful, such base behaviour, no manners whatsoever. Listen to me well Vladimir, I forbid you to associate with boys of such low class, lest you tarnish the family name completely!"_

And then, in a very uncharacteristic manner, a grin began to form on Vlad's face.

 _Actually, perhaps being floormates with this Jack will be fun after all._

* * *

 **A/N:** So that's the start of Vlad's tale! The first few chapters will be a bit more lighthearted, before we start getting into some of the, er, not-so-lighthearted stuff hehe. The next chapter is particularly fun, I think, so keep an eye out for that!

I also wanted to mention that although the University of Wisconsin is, of course, a real university, my descriptions of the school are not at all representative of the actual University. Since this is a story set in a fictional universe, I figured that I could give myself a bit more liberty to come up with my own descriptions of the residences and the campus! This is just the 'University of Wisconsin' that exists in Vlad's world, not ours haha! I actually based some of the descriptions off of my own university, which I am naturally most familiar with.

Anyways, I hope you all enjoyed the chapter! Feel free to leave some feedback, and keep an eye out for the next chapter, which should be out sooner rather than later!


	3. The First Two Years

**A/N:** Hello! I had been hoping to post over the weekend, but my weekend ended up being busier than I expected, so I just finished editing the chapter today. This chapter is a fun one, so enjoy it while the happiness lasts hehe!

* * *

 **Chapter 3: The First Two Years**

Vlad and Jack soon became very unlikely friends. Perhaps, as the saying goes, opposites really do attract. And those two boys could not have been more opposite.

Vlad was the studious one. Despite his impressive intellect, his business major still required him to put a lot of hours into his school work. On top of that, Vlad began to explore the sciences, something that had always interested him back in boarding school. He began to dabble in electives like chemistry, biology, physiology and genetics, which kept him up late into the night very frequently. But he didn't mind; Vlad always relished a challenged.

However, this confused some of his friends, including his closest one. One day during the first semester of their first year, Jack walked in on Vlad studying for a biology midterm:

" _Wait, Vladdie, I thought you were majoring in business — what in the world are you studying biology for?" Jack asked, puzzled._

 _Vlad looked up from his extensively highlighted notes and answered, "Because I enjoy studying science."_

" _So then what are you doing in business?"_

" _My parents believe that business is more practical."_

 _Jack frowned at Vlad's response, but the conversation ended there._

At the end of first year, Vlad declared two minors alongside his business major: biochemistry and genetics. Yet, Jack was fairly certain that if anybody asked Vlad's parents, they thought that Vlad had chosen to minor in economics instead.

Though he could be loud and clumsy, Jack was the most genuine person that Vlad had ever met. He wore his heart on his sleeve, but Vlad considered that to be a good thing. It was a refreshing change to be able to speak openly to somebody and not have to worry about them having any ulterior motives, and what they might do with any information that Vlad would tell them. Jack was like an open book, and all that Vlad ever saw in his eyes was understanding and honesty. Very quickly, this led Vlad to do something that he had not done in a very long time — fully trusting another person.

Once this mutual trust was built, Vlad began to open up, telling Jack things that he had told very few people in his life. Naturally, the subject of Vlad's cold and controlling family did not take long to come up. Yet, no matter how many times it _was_ brought up, it remained a very touchy subject…

" _Vlad, you can't let your old man push you around like that! You need to stand up to him!" Jack exclaimed, not for the first time._

" _It's not that simple, Jack" Vlad said, irritably._

" _And why not, Vlad? You're smart (heck, one of the smartest people I've ever met), you're ambitious, and you're a hard worker. You have friends here that support you. From what you've told me, it's not as if you've ever had your parents' support and approval anyways, so what's stopping you from finally telling them what you really think?"_

 _Vlad's eyes darkened as he snapped, "Leave it be, Jack! You're not in my situation, you don't understand! You have two parents who have never done anything but tell you how proud they are of you and how much they love you! Until you've lived in my shoes, you couldn't possibly begin to comprehend how delicate and complex my situation is!"_

 _Jack was silent. He wanted to argue, to tell Vlad that he was making the situation more complicated than necessary. But Jack really hated arguing with his best friend. Instead, he muttered reluctantly, "Alright Vladdie, I guess you know best."_

Since then, a silent agreement was formed between the two boys that when Vlad needed to vent about his family, Jack would simply be there to listen.

In the meantime, while Vlad continued his business and science studies into his second year, Jack was a bit more lax with his own classes. Unsure of what he wanted to major in, he dabbled in a bit of everything. Eventually, he declared himself as a general science major, though it was really only thanks to Vlad's detailed notes and exam reviews that Jack scraped though his classes — studying was never really his forte.

But what Jack lacked in the classroom, he made up for in heart and spirit. He introduced Vlad to every one of his friends and dragged him out to school events and occasional parties. It was thanks to Jack that Vlad began to relax a little and peak out from behind his mask of stiff politeness and rigidity that had been ingrained in him since his childhood.

But this wasn't enough for Jack — he wanted to get Vlad to _completely_ come out of his shell. Jack introduced him to a variety of sports and social clubs (Jack had a long argument with Vlad about how being on the biochemistry student government did not count). The only other one that Vlad really showed a particular interest in was chess, but Jack was quick to drag him away from that. As Jack blathered on about it somehow being social suicide, Vlad just rolled his eyes and told his friend that he was just too dense to understand the finesse behind the game. This led to a brief scuffle between the friends which ended with them both on the floor, laughing.

Still, if anything, Jack was not a person to give up easily, so one fall day during their second year:

"Hey Vladdie-my-man, guess what!?"

Vlad rolled his eyes as Jack barged into his dorm room, interrupting his studying. "What, you forgot how to knock?"

"You would've let me in, anyways!"

"…Touché. What is it?"

Jack pulled out two green and gold tickets from behind his back. "My buddy scored me two tickets to the Packers home game tomorrow! The thing is, he has the flu and says he won't be able to make it… so guess who I'm inviting instead?" Jack was quite literally bouncing up and down by this point.

Vlad eyed the tickets distastefully. "Football? Really, Jack? What on Earth gave you the idea that I would be interested in going to see sweaty grown men tackling each other over a ball for three hours?"

Jack wrapped his arm around Vlad's shoulders and held the tickets out in front of them at eye level. "Trust me Vladdie," Jack stated, "you'll love it."

The next day, after piling into a van with a bunch of their friends from school and driving down to Green Bay, Vlad somehow found himself standing in the Packers stadium, waiting for the game to start.

"I'm still not loving it, Jack," Vlad said sullenly for the fifth time that day, his arms crossed against his chest.

"Come on Vladdie, lighten up and enjoy the moment!" Jack exclaimed, patting Vlad on the back.

"Hey Jack, come here for a sec!"

Jack turned around and noticed some of their friends struggling down the stairs to their seats, laden with drinks. He turned to Vlad. "One moment, I'll be right back!"

Vlad grumbled as Jack left to go help their friends. "What exactly am I supposed to enjoy? The yelling? The screaming? The heat? The fact that people above me keep dropping _popcorn kernels_ on my _head_?" Vlad muttered irritably under his breath, flinching as another piece of said popcorn bounced off his hair.

Just then, Jack came back holding two extra-tall cans of beer in his hands and something green and gold thrown over one arm. He thrust one of the cans towards Vlad, who just shook his head.

"No thank you," Vlad said, primly.

Jack rolled his eyes. "Oh come on, don't be a such a goodie two-shoes, Vladdie. It's just one beer, relax."

"One beer always leads to more beers, and I would rather not present myself as completely inebriated and sloppy in public, thank you Jack."

Jack suppressed another eye roll at Vlad's uptight response. "Alright, well at least put this on. You look completely out of place without a jersey."

Jack tossed the Packer's jersey that he had brought over and Vlad caught it and eyed it in slight distaste. But Jack did have a fair point; in a sea of green-and-gold clad fans, Vlad stuck out like a sore thumb in his khaki trousers and light blue shirt. He grudgingly pulled it on as everybody stood for the national anthem.

Soon after, the game started with its coin toss; having won the toss, the Packers chose to receive, and with the kickoff, the game started.

During the first few minutes, Vlad just stood there, watching in silence. However, his mask of feigned disinterest slowly began to crumble, and he began to ask Jack questions about the game play.

"Jack, why do they keep stopping every few seconds? And wait, what's this? Why did the Packers suddenly lose possession of the ball? And why did the referee blow the whistle earlier? Did somebody get a penalty? _Why_?"

Jack looked at Vlad in bewilderment. "Wait, don't you know the rules of football?" Jack was surprised; in their group of friends, Vlad was the know-it-all who had an answer to every question and a comment on every subject. When Jack had invited Vlad to the game, he had simply assumed that Vlad _knew_ the rules of football, but just didn't enjoy the game.

Vlad flushed a deep red and mumbled something about having 'better things to do than to look up the rules to such a silly game'.

Jack 'ah-ha!'d loudly. "So, the truth comes out! It's not that you don't _like_ football, you were just too embarrassed to admit that you knew nothing about it!"

Vlad shot his friend a dirty look. "Just explain the rules to me!"

"First admit it— your pride is going to be your downfall!"

"I refuse."

"Alright Vladdie, enjoy watching the game in confusion!"

Vlad's eye twitched in irritation. "Fine, I let my pride get the best of me. Now, please, explain how this game works!"

So as the game progressed, Jack explained the basics of football to Vlad — the offensive, the defensive, scrimmages, how the scoring worked, basic penalties, and so on. Vlad, who had a knack for strategizing, quickly became intrigued and continued pestering Jack with questions about different plays and codes. By the start of the second quarter, Vlad had grasped enough of the game that he was able to get into it.

A little bit _too_ into it, perhaps.

At first, Vlad just started by joining in with the cheers every time the Packers made a good play or gained yards.

Soon after, Vlad also began to join in with the boos every time the opposing team gained possession of the ball or delivered a particularly brutal tackle to one of the Packers' players.

Then, to Jack's surprise, Vlad grabbed for the extra can of beer at the end of the second quarter. "I'm thirsty," was his only explanation.

"I can get you water, ya know," Jack chuckled in amusement.

Vlad waved him off as he took a gulp and turned to the person next to him and started discussing the last few plays.

During the third quarter, Vlad accepted a second (and then later, a third) beer from Jack, who had restocked during half-time.

As Vlad continued to drink more, he began to shout at the players as the game progressed:

"Are you kidding me?! You only had one yard to go! How could you not manage a _single yard_?!"

"Penalty! What in the… Are you _blind,_ referee? He was holding!"

"Run, keep running with the ball! No, don't pass it you dense — no no _no_ — butternuts!"

By the end of the game, Vlad had shouted himself hoarse, but still joined in the raucous cheering of the stadium as the Packers scored the winning touchdown at the end of the fourth quarter. The whistle blew to signal the end of the game, and after the Packers celebrated their win, both teams shook hands and left the field. The stadium, buzzing with excitement, slowly began to empty as the fans milled out.

Vlad and Jack's friends gathered their belongings and made their way out towards the exit, giving each other excited high fives and slaps on the back as they too celebrated the win. One of their friends turned back when the company noticed that they were two short.

"Hey Vlad, Jack — you guys coming or what?"

Jack shot them a thumbs up and shouted, "Go ahead, we'll catch up!" He then turned to Vlad, who was caught up in a fevered discussion about the game with the person sitting below them.

"Hey Vladdie, time to go!"

Vlad barely glanced at his friend as he said, "One second, Jack" before turning back to his discussion.

"Vlad, everybody else is already gone!"

Vlad jumped in his seat to look around and noticed that their friends had indeed already left. He apologized to the person he was talking to and said good-bye.

Once the person had left, Jack turned to Vlad with a grin plastered on his face. "Sooooo, it looks like you had quite a bit of fun!"

"It was a good game," Vlad tried to sound nonchalant, but he stumbled as he got out of his seat, falling into Jack.

Jack grabbed Vlad's arm to steady him and laughed. "Vladdie, I think you may have had a bit too much to drink!"

Vlad snorted. "Don't be an idiot Jack, do I look drunk to you?" To prove his point, Vlad shook Jack's hand off his arm and took a few exaggerated steps towards the steps leading to the exit. "See, I am perfectly fi—"

Vlad suddenly tripped as he completely missed a stair and fell flat on his face.

"Not a word, Jack," came Vlad's muffled voice as Jack snorted.

Fifteen minutes later, Jack and Vlad made it to the parking lot, Jack supporting Vlad as he stumbled here and there.

"Woo Vladdie, had a few too many there?" one of their friends, George, laughed as the two drew near.

Vlad glared at him and pushed himself off of Jack, dusting off his jersey. "I am perfectly fine, just watch—"

But Jack cut him off before he could try to demonstrate just how 'fine' he was again. "Ahhhhh that's not necessary, Vladdie! I think it's time we went back to school, we've had enough fun for one day!"

Vlad shot him an incredulous look. "Wait, back to school? Come on Jack, the fun just started!" He turned to his friends. "Somebody must be throwing some sort of afterparty, right?"

Their friends stared at each other in shock — this was definitely not a side of Vlad that they had seen before — but then they burst out laughing and cheering, clapping Vlad on the back.

"Alright, lightweight, once we get back to Madison, we'll find you a party!" George said, still laughing as everybody piled into the van.

As Vlad was led into the car, protesting vehemently ("What are you talking about? I'm not a lightweight! You know, I take offence to that!"), Jack followed them. He wondered if this was really the best idea. Maybe they should just go straight back to res once they got back into town. Vlad was already tipsy enough and bringing him out to a party with even more alcohol probably wasn't the smartest idea…

Then Jack shook his head, clearing his mind of any doubt as he grinned — now that he had finally come out of his shell, Vlad deserved to have a little bit more fun, right? It wouldn't hurt anybody to find a party.

And find a party they did! After many hours and many more drinks, Jack, along with some of their friends, watched from the sidelines as Vlad continued to party at the centre of the dance floor. Every few minutes he would shout something out to the crowd, and the crowd would in turn respond with a cheer.

Jack shook his head in wonder.

"You know, Jack, if anybody told me before today that Vlad would one day be the life of a party, I would've told them that they'd been hit too many times in the head," another one of their friends, Tony, said in amusement. Jack laughed and nodded in agreement.

On the dance floor, Vlad suddenly whipped off his jersey and started whirling it above his head. Jack choked on his drink so hard that Tony had to whack him a few times on the back, while the others clutched their sides as they laughed at Vlad's drunken antics until tears sprang to their eyes.

"If he takes his pants off next, I swear I'm going to piss my pants," George roared with laughter.

Fortunately for George's pants, they were spared from further disrobing on Vlad's part, and not a minute later Vlad stumbled through the crowd and made his way over to his friends.

"Heeeey guys, come join the party on the _dance floor_!" Vlad exclaimed, grinning madly, the remainder of a beer sloshing around in the can he was holding.

Jack carefully took the drink from Vlad and set it on the table beside them. "Oh no, Vladdie, that's alright, we're all a bit tired. We'll just keep watching from here."

"My, my, this is ironic. Who's the spoilsport now?"

Just then, a very pretty girl with curly brown hair broke free from the massive group on the dance floor and ran over to Vlad, grabbing onto his arm. "Vlaaad what are you doing, come back and _dance_ with me!"

Vlad took the hand of the girl and kissed it. "Give me a moment, beautiful, I'll be right over!" Vlad said with a drunkenly exaggerated bow. Blushing madly (from the kiss or from too much alcohol, Jack had no idea), the girl giggled, then gave Vlad a quick kiss before she ran back to the dance floor.

Jack looked at Vlad, who was staring after the girl. "Wait, what the heck was that…?"

"Why Jack, you know the ladies can't resist my incredible charm and smooth moves," Vlad grinned, raising his eyebrows suggestively.

And that confirmed to Jack that Vlad was incredibly drunk.

"Okay _ladies man_ , I think it's time to go — it's 2am and we have classes tomorrow morning," Jack said, suppressing a snort as he tried to gently push Vlad towards the exit. But Vlad wasn't ready to leave just yet.

"Wait, wait, one more drink, then we'll go!"

"Ok, fine," Jack agreed, while making a mental note to give Vlad a glass of non-spiked punch as they made their way to the drinks table.

As they stood drinking their punch (Vlad not even noticing that his did not contain any alcohol), Vlad suddenly turned to his best friend. "So, when's the next game?"

"You mean football game?"

"No Jack, I meant the next cricket game."

Jack chose to ignore his friend's sarcasm. "Well, there's another home game next weekend, but I'm afraid I won't be able to get us tickets again that soon. They're pretty expensive, ya know, and I'm not made of money."

Vlad looked at Jack with a wicked gleam in his eye. "You forget how rich my family is, Jack — I can score us tickets _anytime we want_."

Then, after putting down his drink, a still-shirtless Vlad took off back into the crowd, pumping two fists in the air, yelling "Yaaaaaa goooooo Packers!"

Jack stared at Vlad's retreating back in wonder, and then laughed. Had he known that all it took for Vlad to come out of his shell like this was a bit (okay a lot) of beer and and two football tickets, he would have tried this a long time ago…

The following morning, Jack knocked on Vlad's door on his way out to class. He was met with the muffled sounds of very colourful swearing, and a few seconds later, a large crash. Worried, Jack barged into the room and saw a large pile of bed sheets on the floor next to a bare bed.

"Vladdie, are you okay?"

A head slowly peaked out from under the sheets, bloodshot eyes glaring at Jack.

Jack struggled to contain a laugh. "Wow V-man, you don't look too good."

Vlad pulled the covers back over his head. "Go away," came a muffled groan.

"You do realize we have class in half an hour, right?"

Another loud groan. "Then get me about twenty painkillers and a glass of water, and I'll consider not killing you for allowing me to drink so much last night."

Jack chuckled. "Sorry Vladdie, but there was just no stopping you! You were on a roll!"

Jack turned around to go get his friend his painkillers, but stopped once he reached the doorway. "By the way, George found your jersey last night after we left the party. He said he'd drop by later and give it back to you."

Vlad's head popped out again, his eyes squinting. "Wait, why would I have left my jersey at the party?" Vlad pulled the covers back and noticed that he was still wearing the same khaki pants from the day before, but he was, in fact, very much topless. "Jack, why am I not wearing a shirt?" He wracked his aching brain, but drew a complete blank. He looked up at Jack in a slight panic. "Jack, exactly what did I _do_ last night?"

Jack just burst out laughing as he walked away from the room.

Vlad stood up quickly and made to follow Jack, but stumbled and fell back onto his bed with a moan. _Never again_ , he promised himself.

And although Vlad was very careful about how much he drank from then on, he willingly allowed Jack to take him out to parties more often. And of course, they continued going to see as many football games as possible.

After that day, Vlad gradually became to change. He retained his studious nature (and position at the top of his class), gentlemanly manners (when appropriate) and "rich-person talk" (as Jack had so eloquently put it), but it was visible to his friends and everybody around him that he had become more… at ease. Less stiff, less uptight.

Slowly, dress shirts became replaced by polo shirts, which became replaced by more casual t-shirts and jerseys on most regular school days. Vlad's once neatly-trimmed, slicked-back black hair became spiked in the front and grew longer in the back. Frowns and annoyed grimaces were no longer the most common expression on his face — smiles and laughter graced his features more frequently than they had ever before. Jack liked to joke around that in two years, his best friend had evolved from stiff, humourless Vlad 1.0 into a new-and-improved Vlad 2.0. And although Vlad was not incredibly amused by this statement, it held much truth.

As their second year came to a close and it was time to renew their leases on their dorm rooms, both boys decided to opt out and instead get an apartment for themselves. Thanks to Vlad's considerable wealth, they were able to snag a nice, spacious apartment close to the university campus — they would move in in the fall.

Except around exam season when Vlad would retreat into the library and Jack would… well retreat to anywhere but the library until the night before to cram, the two were inseparable. It was an unlikely friendship, but it was strong. At first, although Vlad only admitted this to his friend years later, his friendship with Jack was based on an act of rebellion against his stiff and uptight parents. However, Jack's honest and kind nature had grown on Vlad. Vlad knew Jack had his back, and he had Jack's.

And after two years of friendship, despite the fact that neither boy looked nor spoke like the other, people often mistook them for brothers.

* * *

 **A/N:** When I first started brainstorming for this story, I remembered Vlad's Packers obsession, and figured it might be funny to write a scene on how that came about. It ended up fitting well in this chapter, so... here you go! Plus Drunk!Vlad is always fun to write, hehe.

I also wanted to say that, just like Vlad at the start of this chapter, I know virtually nothing about football. I did some readings on the basics of the sport when I wrote this chapter, but there are probably still some technicalities that I got wrong... So if any of you are football fans and you catch a mistake, definitely let me know!

Also - I recognize that Vlad and Jack are still underage at this point in the story. The drinking age is lower in my country than in the States, and I actually forgot about that when I started writing the chapter. So how did they get the beer at the football game? I'd like to think that their friends that got the drinks were older and of legal drinking age. Or they had fake IDs. Something like that haha.

Some of you may be wondering - where's Maddie in all of this? Well, stick around for the next chapter and you might just find out.

Or maybe not.

Maybe I'm just tricking you all hehe.

Only way to find out is to stick around for the next update!

Anyways, hope everyone enjoyed! Feel free to leave a review!


	4. Of Ghosts and Bets

**A/N:** Hey everyone! So I've decided that over the course of second semester, I'm going to be posting bi-weekly updates. The beginning of each week usually works out best for me, so keep an eye out for new chapters around then! This way, I can balance my coursework and still have time to write and properly edit my chapters before posting them.

I realize that the last chapter was a bit fast-paced, but things are definitely going to slow down from this chapter on. Thank you so much to those who reviewed; I loved reading all of your feedback! I hope you all enjoy chapter four!

* * *

 **Chapter Four: Of Ghosts and Bets**

It was the week before the start of his third year of studies when Vladimir Masters met Madeline Foster. Vlad and Jack had come back to school early so that they could move into their new apartment. With the fall semester looming and their appointments for class enrolment quickly approaching, Vlad dragged an unwilling Jack to the library one Saturday morning. The two boys sat at one of the large desks, pouring over a catalogue of available third year courses and documents detailing graduation requirements for their respective majors and minors.

Or, at least, Vlad was.

"Jack, for once could you concentrate on what we are doing instead of staring off into space? Vlad hissed at his friend, who was completely twisted around in his chair, looking at something behind them.

"Hey, I'm not staring off into space, Vladdie! I'm just observing a rather beautiful sight," Jack grinned, nudging Vlad and pointing at what he was looking.

With an annoyed sigh, Vlad followed Jack's line of vision, and his eyes fell upon a group of very pretty girls sitting at another table a few rows down from them.

Vlad rolled his eyes. "Come on Jack, you can flirt with the girls later, we have work to do."

With a pout, Jack turned around as Vlad slid a mock schedule that he had just finished outlining in front of him.

"Knowing you, you probably wouldn't have started this until five minutes before the deadline, and you would've probably run to me panicking in the middle of the night. Since I'd rather not have the little sleep that I actually get disturbed, I have instead taken the liberty of scheduling your core courses along with a few easy electives that will help boost your GPA—"

"Hey, my GPA is good!"

Vlad blinked. "Jack, your GPA is a 2.5. It's a wonder you've managed to stay in your program."

Jack winked at Vlad. "C's and D's get degrees!"

Vlad sighed and shook his head before continuing. "Regardless, here is your schedule and a list of the classes that you will register for during your enrolment appointment if you want to actually graduate at the end of fourth year. Now, all that's left for _you_ to do is to pick one more elective that will fit into your schedule." Vlad picked up a small stack of papers and dumped them in front of Jack. "This is a list of all the courses you can take. Take a look."

Vlad returned to his own papers.

Jack eyed the pile reluctantly, then tentatively picked up the first page on top of the pile and began to read. A minute of silence passed, then:

"I can't do this, this is boring."

Vlad pinched the bridge of his nose and closed his eyes. "Jack, I've already made up the majority of your schedule — all I ask is for you to choose a _single_ elective! Just read through the papers, it won't take you longer than half an hour."

Jack eyed the first page for another minute. Then, suddenly, his eyes lit up. "I have a better idea," he grinned mischievously. Before Vlad could open his mouth, Jack pushed back his chair with a loud _screech_ and walked off.

"Where in the world is he going n—" Vlad started, then his eyes widened when he saw exactly where Jack was headed.

"…Unbelievable."

Vlad watched as Jack greeted the group of girls that he had been staring at earlier, and sat down in the empty seat at their table. He talked with them for a minute or two before turning around and gesturing at Vlad to come over. Vlad shook his head vehemently, pointing at the stack of papers in front of him, as if to say _'get back here, we have work to do'_. However, when Jack's gestures became more animated and other people in the library began to stare, Vlad stood up and reluctantly made his way over.

"—choosing our classes, too!" Jack was saying to the girls as Vlad came within earshot. Seeing that his best friend had finally joined them, Jack smiled at the girls and gestured at Vlad. "Girls, this is, Vlad. Vlad, this is Jennifer—" Jack pointed at a short, very curvy girl with black hair who waved at Vlad "—this is Charlotte—" Jack gestured at a tall girl with model-thin legs and wavy blonde hair who winked at the boys "— and this is Maddie."

 _Wow._

Vlad stared, and sparkling violet eyes stared back. Her wavy, brown hair tumbled down her back in loose curls. She was of average height, a good few inches shorter than Vlad, but the way she carried herself made her appear taller than she really was. Her face was kind, and her smile was beautiful. She wore a loose, white skirt above the knees and a sleeveless, soft blue shirt that hugged her body gently. She was absolutely —

"—beautiful."

"Excuse me?" Maddie asked, startling Vlad out of his thoughts.

Vlad cursed silently. _Damn, did I say that out loud?_ "I-I mean wonderful. Yes, it's wonderful to meet all of you," he recovered, much less smoothly than he had hoped.

Jack gave Vlad a sideways look before continuing. "Anyways… The ladies and I were talking about electives, and Maddie here was mentioning how she was taking Paranormal Studies 310. And I was telling her what a coincidence that was, because _we're_ taking the same class, too!" Jack winked at Maddie, who smiled politely back at the boys.

This time it was Jack that received the end of Vlad's blank look.

"Excuse me Jack, can I have a quick word with you. Over there?" Vlad gestured off to the side. Before Jack had a chance to answer, Vlad grabbed his puzzled friend by the arm and dragged him off behind a nearby bookcase as the girls stared after them.

"Jack, since when are you taking a Paranormal Studies course?" Vlad asked as soon as they were out of earshot.

"Well, we needed to pick another elective, didn't we? And I figured, why not sign up for a class with some cute girls in it?" Jack grinned.

"Wait, so you just walked over there, asked what electives they were taking, and then picked one based off of what they told you?"

"Yup!"

Vlad shook his head. "Jack, you're my best friend, but I have to tell you that your laziness knows no bounds."

"Can't argue against that," Jack said, shrugging shamelessly.

Vlad suddenly narrowed his eyes. "Wait a minute… what did you mean earlier by _'we'_?"

"Well, I figured that it would be more believable if I said that _both_ of us were signing up for that class!"

"Jack, if you want to take a silly class like Paranormal Studies, go right ahead, but I'm already having trouble balancing my business major with my two science minors because of all the core classes that I have to take. I don't have _time_ to waste sitting in on some ridiculous lectures while some old crackpot professor rambles on about things that don't even _exist_!"

"Excuse me, but just because you have such a limited, _narrow_ mind that the idea of ghosts existing is too _baffling_ for you to comprehend does not mean that Paranormal Studies is a silly class!"

Vlad and Jack spun around as Maddie's voice sounded behind them.

"Maddie!" Jack said, startled. "I'm sorry, he didn't mean that! What Vlad was trying to say—"

"Oh no, I meant exactly what I said," Vlad said, frowning. "Everybody knows that ghosts don't exist. The whole notion is ridiculous. I have absolutely no desire to spent an entire semester learning 'facts' that haven't been and will never be proven." He turned to Jack. "Come on, let's go pick a real elective. And perhaps this time, don't pick one just because some pretty girl said that she's taking it, too."

Vlad turned around and started to walk away when suddenly, somebody grabbed his arm. He spun around, ready to tell Jack off, when he realized that the hand that grabbed him was much too small to belong to his best friend…

"Don't you walk away before giving me a chance to respond!" Maddie hissed. "You think I'm some sort of airhead bimbo who's silly enough to believe in ghosts without any proof? That I'm taking the class because it's an 'easy boost for my GPA'? Well, you and your arrogant assumptions are wrong!"

Vlad didn't take well to being insulted. "Excuse me? How _dare_ you call me arrogant for stating the facts!" he hissed right back, wrenching his arm from her grasp. "Please, ghosts? Imprints of post-human consciousness left behind after the body's death? Spirits staying behind because of _unfinished business_? Hauntings? Don't be absurd. Those are just fantastical ideas made up by novel writers and Hollywood movie directors solely for the purpose of our entertainment. It's fiction, pure and simple. If you think otherwise, well then perhaps you're just ignorant."

Maddie took an angry step towards Vlad, drawing herself up taller. " _I'm_ being ignorant? You're just spouting off presumptions that you've convinced yourself are true. There is concrete research that supports the exists of ghosts, of spirits, and even the possible existence of a ghost zone parallel to our own—"

"Ghost zone?" Vlad laughed mockingly. "Please, even _you_ have to admit how ridiculous that sounds when you say it out loud."

"Read the research and then tell me I am being ridiculous!"

"I would rather not waste my time on theories and so-called 'research' that even a _child_ could disprove!"

"What, are you too scared that if you read the papers, you'll find out that you were wrong all along?"

"Wrong? I'm _never_ wrong!"

"Somehow I doubt that."

"What, are you calling me an _idiot_ now?"

"If the shoe fits!"

"Ha, you're one to talk!"

By then, Vlad and Maddie were inches apart, faces flushed with anger and breathing heavily. Jack stared at both of them, mouth open slightly, not entirely sure what to do.

"Fine, then, I challenge you! Take the class. Read the research. Study it. Then, if you're as smart as you say you are and you can _scientifically_ disprove the facts presented in the class, only then will I admit that I was wrong," Maddie stated firmly.

Vlad drew himself up and crossed her arms. "Fine, I accept your challenge. You might as well start preparing your 'you were right, I'm so sorry' speech tonight."

Maddie narrowed her eyes. "We'll see about that."

"Yes, we will."

"Fine!"

"Fine!"

Both Maddie and Vlad spun around and stomped away, leaving a very confused Jack trying to figure out what had just happened.

Later that evening, Jack was sitting in their new apartment watching TV when Vlad walked in, his arms loaded with a pile of textbooks and a sheet of paper, the latter of which he handed to Jack. "Here," Vlad said, then went to sit in the nearby armchair. He dumped the pile of books on the floor with a heavy _thud_ , grabbed the first book on top of his pile and began to read.

Jack looked down at the sheet that Vlad had given him and saw that it was his completed schedule. He noticed that _Paranormal Studies 310_ had been written into the schedule for both Mondays and Thursdays.

"So, we're taking the ghost class after all, then, Vladdie?"

Vlad didn't even look up as he flipped the page. "Yes."

"I thought you said that it was a waste of time?"

"It is."

"So… why did you sign us up for it?"

Vlad finally looked up at Jack. "Because I have to proof to that _girl_ that she's wrong about her silly ghost theories."

Suddenly Jack smirked. "Ohhh I see."

Vlad narrowed his eyes. "What?"

"You like her, don't you?" Jack asked slyly.

"No!" Vlad exclaimed, glaring at his friend. "This is a purely scientific endeavour. Besides, once I prove that she's wrong, she'll thank me for saving her from further pursuing such frivolous studies."

Jack smirked and turned back to the TV. "Whatever you say, V-man."

* * *

One week later on a Monday afternoon, Jack walked into the first Paranormal Studies lecture and saw that Vlad was already seated near the front of the room, reading a textbook. The lecture hall itself was small, though Jack wasn't surprised. Like Vlad, many people probably thought that this course was a bit of a joke, and most of those taking it were probably thinking that it was just a good bird course.

"We haven't even had our first class yet and you're already halfway through the textbook," Jack remarked as he slid into the seat next to Vlad. "You must really be trying to impress this girl!"

"Once again, Jack, I'm not trying to impress anybody. The sooner I read this book and the sooner I disprove one of these silly ghost theories, the faster I can drop this course and focus on _real_ science," Vlad said, dryly.

Just then, Maddie walked in accompanied by the two friends that Jack and Vlad had also met in the library the week before. As she passed the two boys, Jack waved. Maddie smiled kindly at Jack, but when Vlad's eyes lifted up from his textbook and met hers, the smile turned into a frown and she turned away with a sniff.

"Alright everybody, I know you're all probably still thinking about summer vacation, but let's settle down and get to work," a tall man of around sixty said as he walked in and placed a briefcase beside a projector at the front of the lecture hall. "My name is Professor Stein and I will be teaching you for the entire length of the semester. Now, if anybody here decides to continue with Paranormal Studies after this semester—"

Maddie turned around and glared as Vlad snorted loudly.

"— I will also be teaching the 312 course on Spectral Energy and Physiology next semester."

At this point Jack turned to Vlad and mouthed _'what do you think?'_ , to which Vlad mouthed back _'absolutely not_ '.

"Now, before we actually get started on the course material, I have some housekeeping details to get through," Professor Stein continued. "Let's start with the course breakdown. You will attend biweekly tutorial seminars - these are marked based on participation and will be worth five percent of your final grade. You will also write biweekly quizzes worth a total of five percent as well. Your midterm will be worth twenty percent, and your final exam will be worth fifty percent. Now, you may be wondering where the last twenty percent of your grade will come from."

Suddenly the class became very still.

"You will be doing a written research project, due at the end of the semester, on an assigned topic related to our studies. These projects will be done in groups of three. Now, don't worry if you do not know anybody here. I have already divided the class myself—"

A collective groan was heard throughout the hall.

"Quiet, please. As I was saying, I have pre-divided the class into groups of three. I will read them out now. Feel free to write down the names of your group members. If you forget, I will post the list at the back of the lecture hall for you to check after class."

The class reluctantly pulled out their notebooks and pens in order to write down their group members' names.

"Alright, let's see here… Group One is John, Stephen and Camilla. Group Two is Sarah, Allison and Mark. Group Three is…"

Vlad listened idly as the professor continued reading out the groups. Though the odds were stacked against him, he hoped that Jack would be in his group. Not that Jack would contribute a whole lot to the research part of the project (reading just wasn't his thing), but it would be nice to have somebody to joke around with while doing the silly project. The last thing he wanted was to get stuck with somebody who actually _believed_ in ghosts and would take the whole thing far too seriously…

"… And Group Twelve is Vladimir—"

Vlad's attention was caught as his name was read out.

"— Jack— "

Jack whooped quietly and gave his friend high five under the table.

"— And Madeline."

As her name was announced, Maddie visibly stiffened in the front row and Vlad groaned.

 _You have_ got _to be joking,_ he thought miserably. He was starting to regret ever taking up Maddie's challenge... He had enough work on his plate with all of his other courses, and now he would have to dedicate even _more_ time to this stupid class because Maddie would certainly murder him and Jack if they fooled around with their group project.

"Now, in terms of the material we will be covering…" Professor Stein continued once he had finished reading out the names of the last group's members. "We will spend the first two weeks studying the history of Paranormal Studies and paranormal scientists who have made significant contributions to the field. However, we will not be spending all of our time simply discussing history. Paranormal Studies is in fact a science, so you can be sure that we _will_ be studying the mathematics and science behind important research done in the paranormal field in the last few decades…"

And so the first class passed with the professor discussing what would be covered in the course, the required course materials and assigned readings.

As the professor dismissed the class for the day, Vlad quickly gather up his books, in a hurry to get to his first genetics lab of the semester. However, before he could leave, a familiar face came up to him and Jack.

"Well boys," Maddie started, a frown gracing her features. "It seems that we're stuck working together this semester. As much as _some_ of us may not like it—" she looked pointedly at Vlad, "—you need to get over it and get your acts together, because I want to actually do _well_ on this project." Vlad didn't miss the underlying ' _or else'._

"No worries, Maddie, we'll have a great time working together!" Jack said enthusiastically. "Right, Vladdie?"

Vlad grumbled something under his breath.

"I said, _right_ Vladdie?" Jack nudged Vlad hard with his elbow.

"Yes, of course," Vlad scowled as he rubbed his side.

Seemingly satisfied, Maddie told them that she would come up with some possible group meeting times once the topics for the research projects were announced. Then she was gone, catching up to her friends, leaving Vlad and Jack to go to their respective classes.

* * *

The next few weeks passed quickly, and Vlad continued to attend the Paranormal Studies lectures. He participated in the seminar discussions, and he and Jack met up weekly with Maddie to work on their group assignment. He did have a GPA to maintain after all (and he hadn't quite forgotten Maddie's implied threat from that first day of class).

Though he would never admit it out loud, Vlad found that some of the material that they covered in class (and some that Vlad had researched on his own) was almost interesting… but no, as a whole, he continued to regard the study of the whole field as a waste of time. It only served as mild entertainment.

Despite their differences, Vlad and Maddie managed to co-exist politely when they met up for research. They exchanged words only when needed, and otherwise worked quietly together in the library. Though Vlad highly disagreed with many of Maddie's paranormal beliefs, he had to admit that she was incredibly bright; coming from Vlad, who himself was considered highly intellectually gifted by his peers and professors, this meant something. Her grasp of science and mathematics was uncanny and she worked methodically and with a great precision. Vlad often found himself questioning how such an intelligent person could in fact believe in something as silly as well… _ghosts._

Jack, on the other hand, as he did with most people, took to Maddie really well and was always very friendly and talkative, often succeeding in making her laugh and smile. The two became friends, and with Vlad and Maddie as polite acquaintances, the group meetings were somewhat pleasurable for the trio.

Although he already had a large course load on his plate, Vlad still made sure to find time to do extra readings on published research papers about the paranormal. If he was going to prove Maddie wrong, he was going to do it properly so that his proof on the whole subject being a hoax would be irrefutable.

However — and he hated to admit it — he was having trouble. Though he certainly came across some poorer papers, others were very well written and Vlad was struggling to find something that he could concretely disprove. Straying further from the more abstract theories, Vlad concentrated on those that had some sort of mathematical or scientific basis, trying to find flaws in the models and calculations.

One afternoon midway through the semester, Jack came home to the apartment to find Vlad sitting at the kitchen table, furiously scribbling away on a legal pad. He noticed that there were piles of papers containing similar calculations scattered all across the room as well.

"Watcha up to Vladdie?" Jack asked curiously.

"I think I almost have it!" came the excited reply.

Jack walked over and picked up one of the papers from the living room floor, but he couldn't decipher the meaning behind most of the numbers and scribbles. "Um, what exactly do you almost have there?"

Vlad looked up, cheeks flushed and a wild look in his eyes. "Proof, Jack!" he exclaimed excitedly. "A few weeks ago, I looked up the research papers on the so-called 'ghost zone' that Maddie had mentioned when we first met in the library that day. I ran through their data and noticed some anomalies, so I borrowed some of the lab equipment from the paranormal research lab—"

"Wait, I thought that the paranormal research lab was reserved for fourth year students doing their final projects?"

"Hmm, I suppose they are."

"So how did you get in?"

Vlad waved his hand dismissively. "Not important. Anyways, I ran a few experiments on my own similar to those conducted in this research paper, and I tweaked them a bit to fix some of errors that I found. I'm just running the data through the computer using a program I developed last week. Once it's done, I should have proof that the whole paper was incorrect to begin with, and that this _ghost zone_ that Maddie believes is real is nothing but a fictitious idea. I'm just double checking my calculations now, to make sure that they're correct."

Jack walked over to the fridge and grabbed a drink. "Whatever you say, Vladdie. Just promise me… don't be hard on Maddie. She's a really sweet person once you get to know her, and she's really passionate about this class. I'd just hate to see her get hurt, ya know?"

"Yes, yes, sure," Vlad said distractedly, flipping through pages of math. Something pinged in Vlad's room, and he looked up, eyes bright. "There, it's done!" Vlad got up, scattering a few more pages as he ran off to his room.

Jack sat down and flipped on the TV to the Packers' pre-game show. He waited a few minutes, expecting an exclamation of success or at least for Vlad to come in and gloat a little (because Jack knew that Vlad wouldn't be able to resist). Curiously enough, however, it stayed very silent for half an hour until Vlad walked back into the living room, frowning.

"What is it?"

Vlad looked at Jack, eyebrows furrowed in deep thought. "Nothing, nothing… I just made a mistake when I entered the data. My numbers didn't make sense. Anyways, I re-entered the data and am waiting for the program to run the numbers again."

"Are you sure you didn't put the numbers in right the first time?"

"No, I'm positive." Vlad suddenly smiled and took a seat on the couch beside his friend. "No, I definitely just made a mistake entering the data, that's all. Wait half an hour and I will have the correct results that will completely refute this ridiculous theory."

The two sat together and watched the football game for the first two quarters, high-fiving when the Packers scored and groaning when the opposing team did. By half-time and with the Packers in the lead, Vlad was once again in a good mood.

"Sounds like it's done!" Vlad said when the two boys heard another ping coming from Vlad's room. "I'll be back shortly, as soon as I analyze the results."

The apartment was silent again for another twenty minutes. Then Jack heard very faintly:

" _This doesn't make any sense…"_

"Vlad, are you alright in there?" Jack said, raising his voice over the volume of the TV.

" _There must be a mistake in here somewhere… let's see…"_

Jack watched the game for a few more minutes, until he heard:

" _I don't_ get _it, this is impossible!"_

Then Jack heard some banging sounds, and decided that it was time to investigate. He walked over to Vlad's room and saw the computer on, printed data still hanging from his printer, and papers and books scattered all across the usually-neat room. Vlad was sifting through them, tossing them aside when he clearly didn't find what he was looking for.

"What's wrong Vla— woah!" Jack exclaimed in alarm, ducking as a heavy book flew in his direction. "Hey, what's gotten into you?"

"No… no… this is right… these calculations are all right… I know I didn't make a mistake…" Vlad growled, ignoring Jack. He continued discarding paper after paper in a frenzied manner while Jack continued to dodge anything that came flying in his direction.

Suddenly, Vlad stopped. It seemed as if he had run out of papers to sift through. "It's all correct," Vlad said, blank-faced. "All of my work is correct. And yet my data suggests the impossible."

Jack walked into the room, trying not to step on all the books and papers that littered the floor. "What do you mean, Vladdie?" he asked.

"That a ghost zone does exist."

Jack looked at Vlad in surprise. "So that means…"

"I… I was wrong," Vlad said faintly, a look of utter disbelief on his face.

* * *

 **A/N** : Ah Vlad, you really need to deflate your ego a bit.

Well, there you have it! Maddie's finally in the picture; now the story can really kick off. The next chapter should be interesting, so be sure to check back in around two weeks from now for my next update!

Feel free to leave a review! As always, feedback really motivates me to keep writing, and is always appreciated!


	5. New Beginnings

**A/N:** Hello! The last two weeks have been absolutely crazy, but I've managed to squeeze in an update for this week. Enjoy!

* * *

 **Chapter 5: New Beginnings**

"I can't believe I was wrong."

An hour after his discovery, Vlad continued to pace the kitchen, clutching the printed data from his experiment in his hands. Every now and then he'd dash off to grab some paper, stare at it, then discard it again, shaking his head.

"This whole thing, it's impossible!"

Jack watched all of this from his seat at the kitchen table. "I thought you said that your data couldn't be wrong?"

Vlad turned around, face pale. "That's it, Jack. The experiment was sound and I checked and rechecked all of the formulas and calculations myself. I even handed in some of the more complex equations to my math professor to look over before doing the experiment — it's all correct! You know what this means, right?"

"Umm… that the ghost zone is real and that this particular bit of science fiction just became a whole lot less… 'fiction'?" Jack guessed haphazardly.

"It means I have to admit to Maddie that I was _wrong_."

Jack laughed. "Oh come on Vladdie, it's not that bad."

Vlad groaned as he sat down and put his head in his arms. "This is absolutely humiliating. How am I going to face her?"

"Easy. You go up to her and say 'Maddie, you were right, I was wrong. I'm sorry.'"

"But I'm _never_ wrong!"

"Oh come on Vladdie, get over yourself," Jack said, rolling his eyes. "Now pack your pride away, get off your high horse, and first thing after tomorrow's class you apologize to her."

Vlad lifted his head. "I suppose I have to, don't I?"

"Yup."

Vlad's head hit the table again. "This day really can't get any better, can it?" he mumbled sarcastically.

Then the telephone rang.

Jack looked at Vlad, but it was obvious that he wasn't about to run and get it. With a sigh, Jack got up and walked over to the living room, picking up the phone.

"Hi, this is Jack Fenton. How can I help you?" Jack asked.

"…"

"Yes, he's here."

"…"

"Er… I don't think now is the best time."

Jack suddenly thrust the receiver away from his ear as the person on the other end raised their voice angrily. "Alright alright, hold on a minute," Jack said hastily, and held out the phone in Vlad's direction.

"It's for you."

"Who is it?" Vlad asked tiredly.

"Your dad."

Vlad groaned miserably. "Tell him I'm not in!"

"Um, it's a bit too late for that Vladdie," Jack said as Vlad's father could clearly be heard saying ' _I can hear you, Vladimir, come to the phone at once!'_ over the receiver.

Vlad stood up, chair scraping the kitchen floor as he pushed it back in frustration. "Fantastic, just what I needed," he growled as he walked over and snatched the receiver from Jack.

Jack mouthed ' _I'll be in my room'_ before leaving quickly, as he usually did whenever Vlad's dad called.

Vlad put the receiver to his ear. "Yes?"

" _Vladimir, is that the proper way to greet your father?_

He sighed, raking a hand through his dark hair. "No, I'm sorry. It's just been a long day."

" _What happened? You haven't gotten yourself into any trouble, have you?"_

Vlad ignored his father's warning tone. " _No_ , father. I've just been very busy with research and this experi— I mean experience," Vlad caught himself, back-pedalling quickly. "I am applying for… an extracurricular experience. A business... experience."

But Vlad's father wasn't an idiot. _"Vladimir, have you been conducting more experiments? I gave you permission to take some science courses on the side, but your focus was to be business! We've discussed this already. You don't have time to be fooling around, tinkering around in the lab. You need to focus and keep your grades up. You_ are _keeping up with your business major, right?"_

"Yes," Vlad replied sullenly.

" _Son, I am simply looking out for what is best for your future. After you graduate, you will work for the family business, and when I retire, you will take over for me. For that, you need a business degree. Is that clear?"_

"Crystal."

His father sighed. _"Alright, you are obviously tired. This conversation will not get us anywhere if we prolong it further. Go to bed and get some rest Vladimir, then get back to your studies tomorrow. You certainly don't want your grades to drop now, in your third year, lest you jeopardize your chance to graduate with full honours."_

It was Vlad's turn to sigh heavily. "Alright father, good night."

" _Good night, son."_

 _Click._

Vlad put down the phone, his shoulders slumping. His father had gotten one thing right — he _was_ tired. His biochemistry and genetics minors required him to spend many hours in the lab on top of all of his lectures and readings. Not to mention, he knew that he had spent far too much time these last few weeks focused on his Paranormal Studies class, researching and conducting additional experiments after he had so foolishly accepted Maddie's challenge.

Vlad had always been a person who did not require too much sleep to function - six or seven hours was always enough for him to wake up completely refreshed and ready to work. But lately, he had been getting maybe two-thirds of that, and it was starting to show. It was at the cost of sleep that Vlad had managed to stay on top of his work, including his business major that his father was so concerned about. If that's what he had to do to make everyone happy, then he'd do it.

 _But for how much longer?_ Vlad shook his head, dismissing the thought for the moment.

Vlad spent some more time loitering around in the kitchen, clearing up left overs from their dinner, before deciding that he really should just go to bed. He poured himself a glass of water and went off to his room, when he heard footsteps behind him. Turning around, he saw that Jack had come out of his room.

"So, is everything alright?" Jack asked, concerned. "Your dad didn't sound too happy on the phone when I picked up."

"Mmm, that's how he usually sounds. In fact, until he found out about the science experiments I've been doing, he was almost pleasant."

"How did he find out?"

Vlad grimaced. "I forgot that any word associated with 'science' is taboo around my father."

Jack frowned. "What's his problem with science, anyways?"

"It's not so much as a problem with science as it is a problem with me not focusing on what he wants me to be focusing on," Vlad admitted, leaning against the hallway wall.

"Meaning business?"

"Meaning business."

"Vlad, honestly, I think you're in way over your head," Jack said bluntly, after a moment of silence. "Two difficult minors on top of an already-difficult major? You're out late at the library studying most nights, and even when you say that you're going to bed, your light stays on for a couple more hours. You're going to burn yourself out if you keep this up!"

"Believe me Jack, I know," Vlad sighed heavily. "But it's the only way I can study the subjects that I want while keeping my father happy."

"Vlad, maybe it's time to consider dropping this business major and switching it to a science one," Jack suggested, hesitantly.

Vlad shook his head. "No, we've discussed this Jack, it's not an option."

"Maybe if you tried talking to him—"

Vlad laughed emptily. "Jack, you met my father last winter break, you know what he's like. Besides, I've managed so far, I can manage another year and a half. This way, my father's happy and I am happy."

"You don't seem to be very happy," Jack said, uncharacteristically serious.

"Jack, thank you for your concern, but really, I'm fine," Vlad said, putting his hand briefly on Jack's shoulder before turning around and walking towards his bedroom.

"Are you sure?" Vlad heard Jack ask as he closed his bedroom door behind him.

 _No._

* * *

The next day during their afternoon Paranormal Studies lecture, Vlad couldn't concentrate on a word that the professor was saying. Too much was buzzing through his mind - Maddie, this 'ghost zone', his conversation with his father… He glanced at the door at the back of the room, but a not-so-quiet _ahem_ from Jack, who had obviously caught him looking, told him that he wasn't about to escape the situation.

At the end of the fifty minute lecture, the professor dismissed the class, reminding them that their final reports were due in just under a month's time. Maddie, in the front row as usual, got up, gathered up her belongings and began to make her way to the door. Vlad purposefully took his time, hoping that if he took long enough, Maddie would leave and he would be spared the embarrassing encounter for another day.

That's when Jack decided to take matters into his own hands.

"Hey, Maddie, hold up a sec!" Jack called, running to catch up with her.

Maddie turned around, a puzzled look on her face. "Is everything alright, Jack?"

"Yeah, of course! It's just that Vladdie, over here—" Jack gestured vigorously at Vlad to come over; the latter did so reluctantly, looking everywhere but at them. "— has something he wants to tell you."

Maddie put a hand on her hip. "And what would that be, Vlad?" she asked as Vlad reached them.

Vlad took a deep breath, and opened his mouth to say it, but stopped short, grimacing instead. He looked down, shoving his hands deep into his pockets. After a moment, he looked back up at Maddie and opened his mouth, then closed it again. He shot Jack a pleading look:

"Do I have to?"

"Ya, you do! we talked about this last night, remember? You—"

But before Jack could finish, Maddie cut in. "Look, boys, I don't know what's going on, but I really don't have time for this. Vlad, if there's something you wanted to say, just say it."

Vlad looked at her for a long moment, but stayed silent.

Maddie rolled her eyes. "This is ridiculous. When you find your tongue, you can come find me." She turned her back on the boys and walked off.

"I'm sorry."

Maddie froze in mid-step. Slowly, she turned around. "Pardon me?" she asked, certain she had misheard.

Vlad took another deep breath. "I'm sorry," he repeated. "I was wrong. Not only was I wrong about the whole field of paranormal studies, I was wrong in speaking to you in such a demeaning way. I behaved disrespectfully that day in the library, and many days since, and I apologize for that."

"I… As much as I appreciate the apology… I'm confused. Where is this coming from?" Maddie asked warily.

"Well… I've been doing a lot of research these past few weeks, trying to disprove the theories we've been studying in this class. That was your challenge, was it not? You told me that I had to _'scientifically disprove the facts presented in this class'_. If I was going to prove you wrong, I had to do it right. I figured the best way to do so was to make it personal. So, I decided to take a theory that you seemed to hold particularly close to your heart, and tear it to… er… _ahem_." Vlad coughed, turning very pink when he realized what he had been about to say.

Maddie narrowed her eyes, and Vlad heard Jack mutter, _'Real smooth, Vladdie'_.

"Er, anyways," Vlad said quickly, "I remembered you talking about a 'ghost zone' that day in the library. I found the research papers you'd been referring to and I studied them. I tweaked the experiment a bit and then I conducted it myself. I was certain that the results would disprove the notion of such a dimension existing, but…"

"But what?" Maddie asked, tilting her head to the side.

Vlad sighed. "But the results showed just the opposite."

A brief silence filled the room.

"Hold on. You mean to tell me that your experiment showed further proof that the ghost zone _exists_?" Maddie asked, in a hushed tone. "Are you certain your data is correct?"

"Alright, I may have been wrong about paranormal studies, but my math is something that I can _guarantee_ is always right," Vlad said, a touch defensively. "I'm certain."

"Vlad…that's…," Maddie started, but Vlad interrupted.

"Look, Maddie, before you continue, I want you to know that I really _am_ sorry. You're an intelligent, bright woman, and I'm sorry for not having treated you as such. Can you forgive me?" Vlad asked, meeting her gaze.

Maddie hesitated, uncertain. The Vlad that she had come to know in the past few weeks was prideful, egotistical — hardly somebody who would easily admit to being wrong. Yet he sounded… sincere. It was more genuine than anything he had ever said to her.

A small smile formed on her lips. "Yes, I forgive you," she responded.

The two shook hands. Jack smiled as his two friends finally made peace.

"Now Vlad, let's go see this data of yours!" Maddie said, eyes sparkling with a sudden excitement.

* * *

"Wow, you two have an incredible apartment," Maddie said as Vlad unlocked their door and let her inside.

She walked into the spacious living room, taking in the shiny, lacquered wooden floors, the large TV and the expensive beige couches and recliner. Vlad led her to the kitchen, where he offered her a drink.

"Please don't take it the wrong way, but I'm surprised that you two boys have kept this apartment so… clean," Maddie admitted hesitantly, looking around at the clean counter, drying dishes and empty sink. She took a seat at the kitchen table.

"That's all Vladdie!" Jack admitted, sitting down in the chair next to her.

Maddie looked at Vlad, who handed her a tall glass of water.

"That's all me," Vlad confirmed dryly, taking the third seat at the table.

The trio began to chat. At first, mainly about their research project, but they soon branched off onto other topics. They talked about their hometowns, their old schools, and what their families were like. Vlad learned that Maddie was born in Arkansas where she lived with her older sister and both parents until they moved to Florida when she was six. Jack, having grown up with an older brother, was able to relate and the two spent some time swapping 'fighting with their older siblings' stories. Vlad laughed along, though being an only child prevented him from really contributing. Instead, he provided some stories about his time at his boarding school in England, and the pranks he and his colleagues had pulled on their mean old history professor.

"— we never got in trouble because he couldn't prove who had done it, but ever since then he always stepped to the side when he opened any cupboard," Vlad snickered.

Jack guffawed loudly. "Vlad, that's terrible!" Maddie exclaimed, but she was laughing too.

Now on the topic of high school, the trio continued to swap stories — Jack about his public school in Massachusetts, where he played on the school's football team and placed first in his hometown's pie-eating contest four years in a row, and Maddie about her all-girls school in Florida where she earned top grades and became the female judo state champion in twelfth grade.

Jack whistled appreciatively.

"Glad to no longer be on your bad side, then," Vlad admitted, chuckling.

"What about you Vlad? You said you went to school in England. What was it like, living so far away from home?" Maddie asked. "Did you often miss your parents? Your home?"

Jack suddenly became very quiet.

"It was… fine," Vlad said after a short pause. "I had a private tutor for most of my childhood. My parents weren't home very often when I was young as it was. You see, my father is a very busy business man, and my mother… Well, either way, by the time I was sent off to boarding school when I was twelve, I was already used to seeing very little of my parents. So being at school or at… home.. it didn't really make much of a difference."

"Vlad... I'm sorry."

Vlad shrugged it off. "There's nothing to be sorry about! They sent me off to one of the finest boarding schools in the world. My education was second to none. I am thankful for that," he said, trying to sound nonchalant, but Maddie didn't miss the heaviness in his tone.

An uneasy silence filled the room, before Maddie tactfully decided to change the subject.

"Vlad, weren't you going to show me that research of yours?" she asked.

Vlad stood of quickly, relieved to hear her suggestion. "Yes, of course!" he said, a bit overly enthusiastically. "Here, I have everything in my room — follow me."

They had just gotten to end of the hallway, when the telephone rang.

"You two go ahead, I'll get it!" Jack said, and jogged off to pick up the phone before they missed the call.

When Maddie walked into Vlad's room, the first thing she noticed was the neatness — no evidence remained of Vlad's slight meltdown from the night before. Everything was tidy and put away in its place. Every surface was clean, as if dust was too afraid to settle on Vlad's furniture. The second thing she noticed was his books; piles and piles of books, nonfiction and fiction alike. She walked over to his enormous bookcase and scanned the titles. After a moment she gave a little giggle.

"'A Complete Guide to All Your Knitting Needs'?" Maddie teased, pulling out the book in question.

Vlad flushed, quickly grabbing the book from her hands and stuffing it back in its place. "Yes — um — well, you know… sometimes buttons fall off, or a seam catches or…" he trailed off, flustered. "Anyways, let me pull out the data I compiled." Face still red, he walked over to his small filing cabinet and began to leaf through the relevant documents.

While he gathered the papers, Maddie continued to look around his room. Though she wouldn't know, Vlad's room at the apartment was a drastic change from his bare room in residence back when he had started his first year of school. Now, green and gold posters and a framed jersey (with a number of signatures) decorated the walls above his bed. Over his dresser he had hung a large cork board, which he had covered with numerous newspaper clippings of recent scientific discoveries made in various fields, not limited to genetics, microbiology, biochemistry, and even astrophysics.

On this dresser, Maddie noticed, were numerous picture frames, big and small. She picked up the first one, and quickly recognized a young Vlad, perhaps five or six, grinning wildly as an older lady — _His grandmother? Perhaps a nanny?_ thought Maddie — knelt down beside him, gazing fondly at the young boy.

A second photograph showed a teenage Vlad, surrounded by a large group of boys with the Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament in the background. All of the boys wore the same uniform, so Maddie could only assume that this was a school trip that Vlad had gone on when he had been in boarding school.

The third photograph was a bit more… surprising. Maddie turned around with the frame in hand, and flashed the photo to Vlad. "The _Skunk Punks?_ " she asked curiously. "Vlad, I didn't know you and Jack play in a band!"

Vlad turned around briefly to glance at the photograph in question and laughed. "Yes. I was taught how to play the piano as a boy, so switching to a keyboard wasn't that hard. And the correct word would be _played_. The band has since been… er— disbanded."

"How come?"

"Let's just say that letting your lead singer drink his way through an entire keg on his own right before your debut performance at a party is not the best way to win over fans. Particularly those in the front row within the er… splash zone."

Maddie made a disgusted face. "Yes, I could understand why…"

Vlad shrugged. "Mm, but you know what the worst part was?"

"What?"

"Even after a month, I couldn't get that ridiculous white stripe that we painted in our hair — Jack's idea, naturally — to wash out."

"Your mother must have loved that when you went home to visit!" Maddie laughed.

Vlad snorted. "I wasn't in the house for two minutes before she called over her hair stylist. I stood in that shower for a good hour, while the lady passed me bottle after bottle of whatever dye-removal products that she had brought with her, before I was deemed 'respectable' again."

Still laughing, Maddie turned back to the photographs that she had been looking at.

The fourth photograph showed Jack and Vlad in front of what she recognized to be Lake Mendota, right beside the university campus. The two friends posed by the waterfront, arms around each others' shoulders, Jack frozen in laughter at some unheard joke, and Vlad smiling next to him.

The fifth photograph, Maddie saw, was again of Vlad and Jack, this time surrounded by a larger group of friends. The group was at a Packer's game, and everybody could be seen sporting green and gold jerseys. Jack wore a giant green foam glove on his hand, its index finger pointing up with the words _Go Packers!_ written across it. And Vlad… Vlad had on a giant cheesehead.

Maddie giggled, and was about to turn around to tease Vlad about his particular choice of hat, when a last photograph caught her eye. Though it was the smallest of the photographs, it wasn't the size that had caught her attention.

The photograph showed three individuals. On the left side stood a woman, short and slender. Her hair was elaborately styled, and not a curl stuck out of place. Her dress was perfectly tailored to fit her delicate frame and fell at a respectable, below-the-knee length. A tall, proud man dressed in a pristine suit stood beside her. His dark hair was combed back, and his small moustache was very neatly trimmed. Though his expression was stern and serious, Maddie could see a familiar look in his eyes, one that she had seen in Vlad's own eyes that day in the library - a look of snide superiority. And then there was a little boy, perhaps ten years old, standing in the middle, the man's hand resting on his shoulder. Maddie had no doubt that this boy was Vlad himself.

She frowned. This stiff, serious photograph seemed so out of place with all of the laughing and smiling faces that surrounded it. Unsettled, she set the photo down and walked over to Vlad, who was just closing the filing cabinet door.

"Just… admiring the decor," Maddie said, for some reason feeling the need to explain herself.

But Vlad, not having noticed which photo she had just been looking at, smiled kindly at her. "Of course, no worries!"

Maddie relaxed, and accepted the pile of papers that Vlad was holding out. "Take a look at this," he said.

Maddie skimmed through the first few pages of graphs and data. A look of wonder bloomed across her face as she read more and more. "Vlad… this really is incredible," she said in amazement. "It's more thorough than I had expected… Wow…"

Vlad blushed and rubbed his nose as he looked away. "Yes well… if you do something, you might as well be as thorough as possible… Half-assing anything just a waste of time," he muttered, then cleared his throat. "Let me know what you think. When you're done, of course."

A few more minutes passed. Maddie had moved to sit at Vlad's desk to finish looking through the documents, while Vlad had moved to his bed and opened up a textbook that he now pretended to read. He cursed inwardly. _Why am suddenly feeling so_ nervous _all of a sudden_? he wondered in frustration.

Then Maddie flipped over the last page.

"So…?" Vlad asked after a moment.

Maddie turned around to face him. "I think it's absolutely brilliant!" she exclaimed.

"Really? Do you actually think so?"

Maddie stood up and walked over to Vlad, handing him the papers. "Really! Vlad, I think you're really on to something! We need to pursue this! Do some more experiments, some more research!" There was an excited twinkle in her eyes. "You do plan on pursuing this, right?"

Vlad smiled, a genuine, happy smile. "With your help, I hope?"

Maddie returned his smile with a dazzling one of her own. "Of course!"

That's when the door opened, and in came Jack. "Hey you two, enough school work! George just called and said that his friend and his friend's housemates are throwing a wild party tonight, and we're invited!" he exclaimed.

Vlad opened his mouth to protest, but Jack interrupted before he could start. "Ah ah, no excuses Vladdie, you've been working yourself to death lately! As your best friend, I am telling you that you need a night to relax, and tonight is going to be that night!" Jack stated in a tone that left no room for argument. "Besides, this party will be totally rad!"

Vlad sighed. "I guess you've given me no choice, then," he said, but Maddie caught his small, reluctant smile.

Maddie stood up and looked at the boys. "I should probably go and let the two of you get ready, then," she said, and made her way towards the door. "I'll see you both in class on Monday!"

"Woah, hold on!" Jack exclaimed. "You're going to come too, right? We would greatly enjoy your company," he added with a playful wink.

Maddie laughed. "I guess you've given me no choice, either! Alright, I'll just go get changed and will meet you boys back here in an hour." She left, and a few moments later the two boys heard the front door open and close and Maddie saw herself out.

Jack and Vlad stared after her.

"Ya know, she's really something, isn't she?" Jack asked, though it came out as more of a statement than a question.

Vlad looked on, an undecipherable look in his eyes.

"Yes, she is."

* * *

 **A/N:** There you have it! One conflict settled, but another bigger one building...

Also, I couldn't resist sneaking in the little bit about the Skunk Punks hehe. I was hoping to write a longer scene for it, but by the time I thought of it, I had already written the first few chapters and it didn't really fit smoothly into my outline anywhere else, so I added a little part into this chapter instead. Who knows, though, maybe that will come up as a one-shot when I have some time on my hands... I feel like that would be fun to write!

I just wanted to let you guys know that I will be out of the country for reading week next week, and I won't be back home until two Mondays from now. That means that there will likely _not_ be an update in two Tuesdays. I will do my best to post the next chapter later that week or weekend, though! If not, it will be up the Tuesday after.

Well, I hope you enjoyed! Feel free to leave any comments or critiques! Until next time!


	6. Of Greatest Fears

**A/N:** I'm back! Sorry for the late update; I didn't get home from my trip until last Monday, and my week ended up being pretty crazy. Then, when I was editing this chapter, I ended up re-writing a part of it and adding a scene, so that took a little bit of time. Anyways, here is the finished product - I hope you enjoy!

* * *

 **Chapter 6: Of Greatest Fears**

"Vlad, come back here, it wasn't that bad!"

"Oh yes it was!"

Vlad stomped into his apartment as Maddie jogged in after him. "Vlad, calm down, it was an accident!" Maddie said, reaching for his shoulder. "He didn't mean it."

"It was an accident, Vladdie!" Jack exclaimed, bursting into the apartment a second later. "I didn't mean it!"

Maddie gave Vlad a pointed look. "See?"

But Vlad shook his head, his face a pale green. "Accident or not, that was the most _embarrassing_ … _humiliating_ …"

Maddie directed him into an armchair by the window. Vlad sank into it and put his head into his hands.

"Just sit down, take a few deep breaths," Maddie directed, calmly. "Jack, can you get Vlad a glass of wat—"

"NO WATER!" Vlad shrieked. "Not from him! I will _never_ accept a glass of _anything_ from you ever again!" That last bit was directed at Jack, who raised his hands defensively.

"Woah Vladdie, I never handed you anything, you took the glass right out of my hand!" Jack exclaimed.

"Well, you could have at least _warned_ me!" Vlad snapped back, glaring at his friend.

Maddie sighed and sat on the couch next to Vlad's chair. "Vlad, relax, barely anybody saw what happened."

"But how am I ever going to face Professor Larson again?" Vlad moaned, leaning back into his chair and looking up at the ceiling.

"Professor Larson already told you that there was no harm done."

"But it wouldn't hurt if you sat at back of the hall for his next few lectures!" Jack chimed in, unhelpfully.

"That's not funny, Jack! You're the reason that I'm never going to be able to look my professor in the eye again because all I will ever be able to picture is—" Vlad broke off, shuddering as he recalled the events of the science faculty's Professor-Student Luncheon…

* * *

 _Two hours earlier..._

"Well, this doesn't seem like much of a party."

Vlad looked at his best friend, sighing. "Jack, I already told you, this _isn't_ a party," Vlad explained for the third time. "This is a luncheon to give students and their professors a chance to meet outside of the classroom and talk."

Jack made a face. "We already have to listen to these people talk for hours on end in lectures… why would we want to talk to them even more?"

This time Maddie - who had also come to the luncheon - answered. "Many of our professors conduct their own research outside of what they teach in the classroom. Some of it is incredibly fascinating!"

Jack didn't look convinced.

"Jack, you know that I told you that you didn't have to come if you didn't want to," Vlad said, as he looked around the hall they had just entered. Everybody was dressed properly for the occasion - the boys in dress pants and shirts, and the girls in modest dresses or skirts and blouses. Vlad, used to the business casual dress, fit right in. Maddie, Vlad noticed with a faint blush, looked very elegant but professional in her sleeveless, knee-length navy dress. Jack on the other hand…

"Jack, roll down your sleeves!" Vlad muttered under his breath, so that only his friend could hear.

"But I look ridiculous!" Jack whined, though he did as his friend said, albeit reluctantly. Vlad had insisted he wear a dress shirt and pants as well, but Jack looked miserable, clearly out of his element.

Vlad sighed. "If you want to go back home, that's fine," he offered, not unkindly. "I know this isn't your thing, and Maddie and I really appreciate you making an effort to come, but really, we understand if you don't want to stay."

"Nah, I said I'd come, and I'm a man of my word!" Jack exclaimed. "Besides, if this is important to my two best friends, then it's important to me, too."

"That's very sweet of you, Jack," Maddie said, smiling. Jack beamed, while Vlad rolled his eyes.

"Alright, if you say so," Vlad said.

Maddie suddenly stopped in her tracks. "Oooh there's Professor Stein!" she exclaimed excitedly, having spotted the professor at the far end of the room. "I've been meaning to ask him about his research on quantifying spectral energies since I read his paper last week… Go ahead without me, I'll catch up with you later!" She walked off in the direction of the professor in question, leaving Vlad and Jack to wander the hall on their own.

Over the next hour, Vlad stopped on multiple occasions to talk to some of his professors who had also come to the event. But as Vlad spoke animatedly with each professor, Jack began to grow bored. He tried to hide it though, since he knew that Vlad had really been looking forward to the opportunity to meet one-on-one with his some of his most admired professors.

Yet, as time went on and as more professors stopped Vlad — a top student in many of their classes — to talk, Jack struggled to hold back the yawns. In the end, however, one finally managed to escape him, interrupting Vlad's conversation with his genetics professor, Professor Larson.

Vlad shot an annoyed look at his friend, but his irritation quickly subsided. He knew that Jack was trying his best, but it was obvious that he was bored to death.

"Jack," Vlad said suddenly, an idea popping into his head, "I don't know about you, but I'm really thirsty. Do you think you could get us all a drink?"

Jack perked up, glad to finally have been given something to do. "Sure thing, Vlad!"

Vlad sighed in relief as Jack went off to the refreshments table, and he and his professor resumed their conversation once more. By the time that Jack returned, Vlad was so deep into the conversation that he hardly noticed when Jack said:

"Hey Vladdie, I brought you your glass of water!"

"Ah, thank you Jack," he said absently, grabbing a glass from Jack's hand without looking away from Professor Larson, who was eagerly explaining something about Y-chromosome haplogroups. Vlad nodded enthusiastically as the professor continued, and he went to take a sip of water.

"Ahhh Vlad that's not your gl—" Jack started.

But it was too late; Vlad had already swallowed. He frowned, then looked at the glass. He took another sip, swishing it around his mouth before swallowing again. Again, the taste seemed… off.

"Jack, this water tastes strange," Vlad remarked quizzically, cutting off his professor, taking another sip to double check that his taste buds were actually working properly.

"Er Vlad… that was my glass," Jack admitted, and cringed as Vlad suddenly spit out his mouthful of water…

… all over Professor Larson's shirt.

Vlad spluttered, realizing in horror what he had done. "Oh _sh_ — I-I am so sorry! Hold on, let me give you a—" Vlad looked around in panic, looking for a napkin or a towel or a—

"Kleenex?" Jack offered hesitantly, having pulled one out of his pocket.

The look on Vlad's face was murderous.

* * *

"It wasn't as bad as you think," Maddie said reassuringly, bringing Vlad back into the present.

"Maddie, I drenched my professor in water."

"Um actually Vladdie, it was backwash," Jack corrected.

"Ohh really? Why _thank_ you Jack, I didn't notice that when I drank from your _stupid_ glass," Vlad shot back sarcastically.

"Alright boys, that's enough," Maddie said firmly, interrupting their bickering. "Jack, you meant it when you apologized to Vlad, right?"

"Of course I did!" Jack said, then turned to his friend. "Vladdie, it was an honest mistake, I really am sorry!"

Vlad grumbled in response, not looking at Jack.

"Vlad, use your words, and stop acting like you're three," Maddie said, rolling her eyes.

He sighed heavily after a moment. "Fine," Vlad conceded, though slightly reluctantly. "Apology accepted."

Evidently satisfied, Maddie got up from her seat and smiled. "Alright, boys, I need to go home and eat dinner," she said. "But I will see you both tonight to put the finishing touches on our project, right?" It was mid-November, and their presentation for their Paranormal Studies class was in two days.

The boys nodded (accompanied by an enthusiastic 'yup!' from Jack), and with that Maddie left. Jack got up, saying he was going to heat up some left overs. "Want some?" Jack asked his friend, hoping Vlad would see it as a peace offering.

"… Sure," Vlad accepted the offer, before getting up from his seat and walking out of the living room.

"Hey Vladdie, where are you going? Dinner will be ready in a moment!" Jack exclaimed.

"I need to brush my teeth first. And perhaps bleach my mouth," came the reply from the bathroom.

Jack snorted, but he smiled, knowing that Vlad had forgiven him. Of course he had, though; they were best friends, and it would take more than a bit of backwash to change that.

* * *

The rest of the semester passed without any further mishaps, though Maddie and Jack were certain to never mention the Backwash Incident when Vlad was around.

Just as Maddie had wanted, the trio's Paranormal Studies project received top marks, and Professor Stein encouraged them vigorously to take the subsequent course the next semester. Exams rolled around soon after, and the trio found themselves buried under mountains of books and review notes. Even Jack was seen at the library every day; he had realized that if he wanted to pass his courses, he would actually have to study this semester, and not just the night before his exams.

After many long hours and a two exhausting weeks, Maddie, Vlad and Jack walked out of their final exam, sleep-deprived and relieved that it was all over. Christmas vacation was now at their doorstep, and the trio bid farewell to one another as they all went their separate ways for the holidays.

Christmas at the Masters' household was a quiet affair, as usual. Vlad's father was away on a business trip in Germany, but Vlad was secretly relieved to have some peace and quiet. The less he spoke with his father, the less often he had to lie to him about his science courses. Lying on the phone was hard enough, and lying to his face was next to impossible. Vlad shuddered to think what his father would say if he found out about the Paranormal Studies class in particular.

Exam results came out midway through the holidays. Having received top marks, Vlad was thrilled, but this fall semester had exhausted him more than any other semester had before. He definitely needed some rest and relaxation. Plus, if he was going to get through another semester balancing his ridiculous workload, he would need to really recharge his batteries before the winter semester started. This largely included twelve-hour sleeps and midday naps. Lots of naps.

Before he knew it, three weeks flew by and Vlad found himself back at his apartment in Madison, unpacking his suitcase and re-organizing his binders and textbooks for the new semester. He only hoped that he had gotten enough rest over the holidays, because he knew his hours of sleep would soon be cut much shorter.

And that was a major understatement.

After the first week, Vlad thought perhaps he would have this semester under control. So far, he was on top of all his readings and assignments, and he was still averaging a good seven hours of sleep a night.

By the end of the second week, that was cut down to five hours.

By the end of the third — four.

The less he slept in his bed, the more he began to doze off in other places. Lecture halls, on the couch, and even:

"Wait, hold on… You're telling me that you accidentally fell asleep on the bus and missed your stop?" Jack asked tentatively, after Vlad had trudged in through the door just after midnight one night.

Vlad flushed as he peeled off his snow-covered winter jacket and tossed it over the coat rack to dry. "I said it was an accident. Hasn't that ever happened to you?"

Jack hesitated, leaning against the wall. "Er… no. I usually just, ya know, sleep in my bed."

Vlad didn't answer, and instead glared at the puddle of water that formed under his winter boots. "I'm going to find a mop," he muttered, and walked away from his friend towards the closet where they kept their cleaning supplies.

Jack followed him.

"Look, Vlad, I know you've been super busy working at the library and in the lab, but maybe you should consider coming home earlier and getting some rest."

"I told you, it was a one-time accident, it won't happen again," Vlad stated firmly, rummaging through the closet until the found the mop. He shut the door and made his way back to the front entrance to clean up the mess he had made, and again, Jack was right on his heels.

"But it wasn't just one time. Two days ago I found you napping at the kitchen table. Last Sunday you fell asleep while we were watching the Packers game. You _never_ sleep through a football game. Oh, and then last week you fell asleep _twice_ in our Paranormal Studies class," Jack listed, holding up a finger for each count. "You constantly look like you're going to pass out—"

"That's a lie."

"— you keep tripping over things and you're unusually clumsy—"

"Don't confuse yourself with me."

"— and I mean, Vlad, you walked into a _pole_ yesterday on the way to class."

Vlad flushed again, and pointed a finger at his friend. "I thought we agreed that that _never happened_."

Jack rolled his eyes. "The point is, you're not getting enough sleep. And that's obvious to everybody."

"Well, if that's the case, then maybe 'everybody' should stop worrying about me and worry more about themselves," Vlad snapped, but immediately felt guilty at the hurt look on Jack's face. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean that," he apologized quickly. "You have to understand, though — I just have a heavy course load. If I want to keep my grades up, it means that sometimes I need to sacrifice a bit of rest for a good GPA."

Jack frowned. "Vladdie, don't kid yourself, your grades are already stellar. You could afford to slip a bit below a perfect GPA! Nobody could fault you for that!"

Vlad shook his head and smiled ruefully. "You know that's not true."

"If this is about your dad—"

Vlad cut him off. "No, Jack, it's not just about my father. That's just… who I am. Slacking isn't in my nature. I can't just _not_ give it my one hundred percent. You know that."

Jack sighed. "I do," he admitted. He held out his arm, hand open. "Here, give me that mop, I'll clean up. You just get yourself to bed."

Vlad looked like he was going to protest, but whatever he was going to say was cut off by a large yawn. Jack raised an eyebrow at his friend.

Vlad sighed and helped out the mop. Jack took it in one hand, and gently pushed Vlad in the direction of his bedroom with the other. "Alright, to bed, now!"

As Vlad stumbled off, Jack turned his attention to the puddle on the floor until he heard a _thud_ and a quiet _oof!_ a moment later. He spun around to see Vlad standing at the end up the hallway, a hand pressed against his forehead, looking slightly dazed.

"Did you just walk into the doorfram—"

Vlad held out his hand to stop Jack. "Not a _word_."

A few minutes later, Vlad fell into bed, turned off the lights, and burrowed deep under his covers. Before closing his eyes, he snuck a peak at his alarm clock. He groaned when he saw the time, knowing that he had to get up early and once again, wouldn't be getting nearly as much sleep as he wanted.

But he _had_ managed two and a half years like this; surely he could last at least another semester?

* * *

It was at the start of the fifth week of the semester, a week before midterms, that Maddie found Vlad one evening, sound asleep in the library, head resting gently on the table with his crossed arms serving as a make-shift pillow.

"Vlad, wake up!" she whispered, gently shaking him awake.

Vlad awoke with a jolt, and looked around with wild eyes. "W-what time is it? Where am I? Did I miss class?" he asked in a panicked voice.

Maddie shushed him quietly and grasped his uppers arms gently as she sat down in the empty chair next to him. "Vlad, relax, it's alright," she said soothingly. "It's only nine in the evening, you haven't missed anything."

Vlad sighed and relaxed for about a second before he suddenly tensed up. "Oh man, nine o'clock? Already? How can it be that late? I still have so much to do before class tomorrow!" he exclaimed in a voice ridden with anxiety.

"Vlad, this needs to stop! You're exhausted, you should go home and rest," Maddie suggested, concerned for her friend's well-being. "You've done enough work for the evening, I'm sure. You've been working so hard these past few weeks! You've practically been living in the library… When was the last time you had a good night's sleep in your actual bed?"

Vlad hesitated before saying: "Last night."

Maddie narrowed her eyes at the lie; the prominent, dark bags etched underneath Vlad's eyes told another story.

"Alright mister, I'm not asking anymore, I'm telling — you are done for the evening, and I am taking you home," Maddie said firmly, and started gathering Vlad's books for him. However, as she did this, a sheet of paper flew out from between two textbooks. She bent down to pick it up, and gasped when she realized what it was.

"Vlad… is this supposed to be your _schedule_?" she asked in disbelief.

"Yes."

"But…" her voice faltered. "This is far beyond a normal course load. How did you get permission to take all of these extra courses?"

"Well, I wrote to the heads of the science and business departments. I got a few glowing recommendations from some of my professors… and I suppose my academic record spoke for itself. They gave me permission as long as I thought that I could manage the workload. I was confident that I could. And I did for a while…" Vlad trailed off, his voice laden with exhaustion.

Maddie was still scrutinizing his schedule, shaking her head slowly. "But Vlad… why? With this amount of courses, what are you trying to do? A major and…"

"Two minors. My course load wouldn't have been this bad if I had been able to take summer courses, but my father had me working at our family company - _'learning the ropes for when I take over'_ , as he put it…"

"A business major here is a large course load to start, Vlad. Most people wouldn't even go for a single minor with that… And if they did, they would usually pick something much lighter than _genetics_ and _biochemistry_ , for goodness' sake!" Maddie exclaimed.

Vlad sighed. "I know but… I really love studying science."

"So then why didn't you choose to major in that instead?" she asked.

Vlad looked away. "Because I can't."

Shaking her head, Maddie got to her feet and slipped the rest of Vlad's books into his backpack. She offered a hand to her friend. "Come on, let's go for a walk."

Vlad looked up at her, and after a moment of consideration he grasped her hand. She pulled him up gently, and the two walked out of the quiet library together.

Minutes later, Vlad and Maddie found themselves walking the path that wound around the lake's waterfront. Even though it was February, the evening was unusually mild, hovering just above the freezing mark. Snow danced in the air, and fell gently around Vlad and Maddie as they walked.

"So why, Vlad? Why can't you?" Maddie asked, breaking the silence.

Vlad knew what she was referring too. "It's because… of my parents," he admitted heavily.

"How come? You're the one getting your degree, not your parents. You should be free to choose what you want to study!" Maddie countered.

"You sound just like Jack," Vlad laughed softly, though he didn't find the situation particularly funny at all. "I suppose you're right. No, you _are_ right. I should be able to choose what I want to study. I should be able to choose my own career path."

"Of course you should! Vlad, that's a given!"

"Mmm... You know what I want to do once I'm done school, Maddie?"

"What?"

"I want to study science. I want to do a Master's degree, and then maybe my PhD, perhaps in human genetics. I want to do research. I want to develop and conduct my own experiments. I want to be _challenged,_ to explore the intricacies and the subtle nuances of the workings of the natural world!" There was now a spark in Vlad's eyes as he began to speak more animatedly. "I love physiology, biochemistry, genetics, biomechanics — it's all so incredibly fascinating and there's so much to be discovered and..." Vlad suddenly trailed off, lost in thought.

"And what?" Maddie asked after a moment.

"And my father wants me to be a business man."

Maddie shook her head. "I still don't understand, Vlad."

Vlad smiled wryly. "I suppose I haven't explained properly. I come from a very well-off family. You already know that. My father runs the family business, and has been very successful, to say the least. My father wants — or rather, he expects — me to take his place at the head of the family business once he steps down."

Vlad kicked at the snow on the ground. "Now don't get me wrong, business is an interesting field. There's a lot of strategy and logic involved. It's like a giant game of chess. You have to be smart and cunning to succeed in that field. But…"

"But…?" Maddie asked, encouraging Vlad to continue.

"You also have to be cold. And calculating. My father's very good at that," Vlad admitted, bitterly. "But Maddie, I never wanted to be like my father. I don't want my whole life to be about working twelve hour days spent in board meetings and ordering around employees and filling out piles and piles of paperwork. I don't want everything to be about _money._ Because money… that won't buy you happiness. I know that sounds incredibly cliché, but trust me, it doesn't. It won't buy you a happy family.

"As a child, I always had the newest toys and the most expensive bikes and went on the most extravagant trips that other boys could only _dream_ of. But you know what? I would've traded all of that for just an hour of my father's time. Just sixty minutes of his undivided attention. To tell him about my dreams. To get to know him. For him to get to know _me._ To hear him say that he was proud of me."

"Vlad, I... I'm sorry," Maddie said softly, and she grabbed his hand and gave it a small squeeze in reassurance. She received a soft squeeze in return.

"As I got older, I suppose I got used to it. My mother always being away. My father being… well, my father," Vlad continued. "But just because I got used to it, doesn't mean that I didn't wish that things were different."

"So why don't you tell your father everything you're telling me now?" Maddie asked.

Vlad snorted. "I can't do that."

Maddie shook her head in frustration. "You keep saying you can't, Vlad, but you can! For goodness' sake, you're an adult, not a little boy anymore! You're an intelligent, respectable man — you should be able to stand up to your father and tell him how you feel!"

Vlad exhaled, equally frustrated. He shook his hand out of hers and turned away. "Maddie, you don't understand what would happen if I did that."

"Like what? What's the worst thing that could happen? It's not like your father can give you a time out anymore, Vlad. You're twenty years old! Time to grow a backbone!" Maddie exclaimed, raising her voice.

Vlad spun around, eyebrows furrowed in anger. "Don't you start patronizing me!" he snapped. "I'm not worried about something as _childish_ as a _time-out_ as you so _naively_ put it!"

"Then what are you so _afraid_ of?" Maddie yelled, throwing her arms out in frustration.

Vlad flinched at her tone, and opened his mouth to yell back, but he stopped short. Grimacing, he looked away.

For a minute it was silent, as night began to close in around them. A distant lamppost provided the smallest glow of light.

...

"I'm afraid of being alone."

Maddie's eyes widened at the rawness of Vlad's voice.

He looked up at her, pained. "That's just it, Maddie. I'm afraid of being alone. My family isn't the kindest or warmest of families… but at least it's a family. As long as I have my parents, I won't be alone. And if I tell my father the truth… Scrapping my business major for science isn't just a career change for me. It's rejecting my father's business, rejecting the legacy that he has worked hard to maintain and expects me to carry on, something he sacrificed his own happy family life for. And if he doesn't accept it… if he doesn't accept _me_ …"

Maddie close the distance between them, and grabbed his two hands in hers. She looked him straight in the eyes. "Vlad, you'll _never_ be alone. You'll have your friends. You'll have your colleagues at school and work. And you'll always have us. Me and Jack. As long as you need us, we'll be there."

Vlad searched her honest, violet eyes. "Do you promise?" he asked, and in his voice Maddie heard the desperate question of a young boy who had only ever wanted a warm, caring family. Whose only wish was for somebody to be there to support his dreams. To celebrate with him when he achieved his goals. To comfort him when times got tough. To listen to him, and to accept him.

"I promise."

* * *

 **A/N:** It's evident that Vlad has some tough decisions to make. The next chapter promises a critical confrontation, so stay tuned for my next update!

Also - I couldn't resist writing about the backwash incident. Poor Vladdie haha.

Definitely let me know your thoughts about this chapter! This is the first time I've attempted to write a full-length story, so I only hope that I am doing an alright job!

Well then, I will see you all in two weeks. Ta~~


	7. A Son's Plea

**A/N:** Hellooooo~~ I'm back with my next update! The last chapter left off with Vlad having some serious thinking to do after a heart-to-heart with Maddie. But before we get to the next chapter, I just wanted to give some personal thank-you's to those who reviewed chapter six:

 **pearl84** : It's definitely hard to write some of these more hopeful scenes knowing how things are going to play out later. Vlad is definitely one of my favourite characters in the show, too, and it's been a lot of fun writing this story! Thank you so much for your kind reviews. I've actually read most of your stories (which are beyond incredible) and I can't even begin to express how much I admire your writing! I was thrilled when I saw your review and I am glad you're enjoying the story! I can only hope that you enjoy this next chapter, too.

 **MiaulinK:** Haha yes, the backwash incident was definitely amusing for everybody that wasn't Vlad… and perhaps Professor Larson's dress shirt. As for Maddie's purple eyes — that is an excellent question, but you'll have to ask Butch Hartman about that haha. Thank you for your review, and I hope you enjoy the next chapter!

 **Invader Johnny:** Thank you so much for your ever-faithful chapter reviews! Your kind words have definitely encouraged me to keep on writing this story! Based on this chapter, it is hard to believe that Maddie and Jack would break their promise to their friend… but there are reasons, very important reasons that will definitely come into play later in the second arc of the story. For now, I hope you like this next chapter!

And now without further ado — Chapter 7!

* * *

 **Chapter 7: A Son's Plea**

That night after getting home, Vlad went into his room and locked himself in without a word. Jack, worried that something was wrong, went to knock on his best friend's door, but before he could do so he felt a small hand touch his shoulder. Stopping, he turned around and saw Maddie shake her head.

"He needs some time alone," she said softly.

Jack frowned, but then nodded, trusting her judgement.

And so the night at the apartment passed in silence.

The next day, Jack didn't get up until the late morning as he only had class in the afternoon. However, when he walked out of his room, he noticed that Vlad's door was still closed. Jack's concern from the previous night returned. Deciding that it was time to check in on his friend, he walked over to Vlad's door.

"Hey Vladdie, is everything alright?" he called out tentatively, but got no response. He put his ear to the door and knocked lightly. "Hey, you in there?" Again, no response.

Just as Jack went to open Vlad's door, he heard the jingling of keys and the rattling of the door knob right before the apartment's front door burst open. In strode Vlad, cheeks pink from the nip of the cold winter's morning.

"Vlad! I thought you were still in your room! I didn't hear you leave this morning. Where have you been?" Jack asked, puzzled.

"I did it. I dropped my business major," Vlad said in a tone that suggested that he hardly believed what he had just done.

Jack's jaw dropped. "Hold on, you _what_?"

"I got up first thing this morning and walked over to student services. I told them that I had a change of heart and that I wanted to change my major. It took a few hours, but we got everything sorted out. I'm officially now doing a double major in biochemistry and genetics," Vlad said, still in slight disbelief. "I was ready to discard business completely from my schedule, but the academic advisor told me that I was only a few credits short of a business minor, so I decided to go with that."

"But Vladdie, how's that supposed to lessen your workload? You struggled doing _two_ minors and _one_ major. Won't a _double_ major on top of a minor, even one that you've almost finished, be just as much — if not even more — work?" Jack asked, uncertainly.

"That's what my academic advisor said, too, but we came up with a solution — I'm going to take a fifth year to complete my studies. That way I'll have a normal course load each semester and I'll be able to purse the studies that I want. I decided to drop a few classes this semester as well, meaning that I'm back to a normal course load starting _now_. Only one of the classes that I dropped is a required course for my new program, and I'll just take it again next year. If need be, I'll pick up a summer course or two. It's all been worked out."

"Vlad, that's fantastic!" Jack exclaimed, grinning at his best friend.

Vlad laughed — it was a laugh of pure relief. "I can't believe that I _did_ it. I'm finally going to be studying what _I_ want to study."

But then Jack frowned, struck by a thought. "Vlad, what about your dad? You had a hard enough time lying to him about your studies before. How are you going to get away with lying about this?"

A look of uncertainty flashed across Vlad's face, but it was quickly replaced by one of steely resolve.

"I'm not going to lie about this, Jack," Vlad said firmly. "I'm going to tell him everything, and I'm going to make him listen. I'm going home in less than two weeks for spring break — I'll tell him then. I'm _sick_ of being the obedient son that only does as he is told. I'm my own person with my own goals and desires, and I'm going to make him see that, and accept it!"

"But… what if he doesn't?" Jack asked, quietly.

Vlad flinched, but then shook his head. "No, he will. I'm certain."

"Well, I'm sure it'll all work out," Jack reassured. "But whatever happens, I've got your back, man!"

"Thank you Jack… that means a lot to me," Vlad smiled genuinely.

Vlad went to take off his winter coat and boots while Jack got busy in the kitchen, preparing his lunch. Vlad joined him a moment later, putting some books and a small pile of papers on the kitchen table before going to the fridge to pull out some ingredients to make his own lunch with.

"Now Vladdie, don't take this the wrong or anything…" Jack started hesitantly as he cut himself a few slices of bread. "But why grow a backbone now?"

Vlad peered out from behind the fridge door to give Jack an unamused look, evidently having taken it the wrong way.

"Er- I didn't mean it like that Vladdie," Jack said sheepishly. "I just meant… Look, don't get me wrong, I'm glad you're going to finally stand up to your dad, but why now, all of a sudden?"

Vlad grabbed some vegetables and the container of left-over pasta from the fridge and closed the door. "I… was given a lot to think about last night. I was told something that made me realize that I no longer have any excuses to keep living my life based solely on my father's wishes."

"It was Maddie, wasn't it?" Jack asked after a moment, but it was really more of a statement than a question.

"… It may have been."

Finding a cutting board and knife, Vlad began to chop up the vegetables. Only once he was done did he look up and catch Jack grinning slyly at him.

"What?" Vlad asked, prickling slightly at that look — a look that usually meant no good coming from his best friend.

"Aren't you glad that I was too lazy to pick my own electives last fall?" Jack teased. "You wouldn't have met Maddie otherwise, and who knows how long it would've taken you to finally muster up some courage to stand up for yourself?"

Vlad rolled his eyes. "I'm not even going to dignify that with a response." He plated his finished lunch and walked over to the living room, where he plopped down on the sofa to eat.

Bringing his own lunch to the kitchen table, Jack noticed the pile of papers that Vlad had put there earlier, and saw his friend's new, modified class schedule at the top of the pile. Jack put his plate down and he picked up the sheet of paper, inspecting it. He perked up when he noticed one of the classes that Vlad had decided to keep for that semester.

"Would ya look at that... I guess if it wasn't for me and my _laziness_ , you would've never discovered your _favourite_ class either," Jack chuckled, and Vlad, looking up at his friend, noticed that he was pointing to Professor Stein's _Spectral Energies and Anatomy_ course listed on his schedule.

"Oh, shut up," Vlad grumbled.

"Didn't you snort the first time Professor Stein mentioned his second semester class? I'm _pretty_ sure I remember you snorting. And rolling your eyes. You definitely rolled your eyes," Jack grinned impishly.

Jack ducked suddenly, and a pillow that had been aimed at him flew harmlessly over his head and hit the fridge behind him, but he was too slow to avoid the second one, which caught him square in the face. He looked up to see a smirking Vlad. He stared at his friend in shock for a split second, before the two boys burst into laughter.

* * *

However, as the number of days before the spring break dwindled away, Vlad's steely resolve began to chip away as well. Before he knew it, midterms were done and Vlad found himself standing outside his apartment in the frosty air, waiting for his driver Henry to arrive. Both his mother and father were home at their Maryland estate, so the family's private jet was free to use. Henry would pick him up shortly, and the two would drive to the airport where the plane waited to take them home.

Both his mother and father being home at the same time for an entire week was a rare occurrence, but instead of feeling happy that he would have the chance to spend some time with both of his parents, Vlad was sick with worry. Jack and Maddie had both wished him luck, but now Vlad wasn't sure that luck would be enough.

 _No, stop thinking like that,_ Vlad swiftly chided himself for such thoughts. _They're my parents. Despite our differences, I am still their son, and they care about me._

' _But do they_ really _care?'_ a dark little voice inside his head nagged. _'Sure, they care about Vlad Masters as the heir to the family business and the legacy of the Masters name, but don't kid yourself, they don't care about Vlad Masters as a human being with feelings and a desire for independence. If you won't be their perfect son, their puppet who walks and talks up to par with their ideals and standards, they won't care about you.'_

"Shut _up_!" Vlad growled at the voice, kicking the snow viciously.

"Excuse me, sir?"

Vlad whirled around, startled, and saw that Henry had arrived and was standing behind him, eyebrows furrowed in concern.

"Er I'm sorry Henry, I was distracted," Vlad explained hurriedly. "I wasn't saying that to you, no, no, that was - I was - just - er… talking to… myself." He finished lamely and blushed when Henry raised an eyebrow.

 _He probably thinks I've lost my mind,_ Vlad thought in embarrassment.

' _To be fair, you probably have,'_ the little voice in his head added, and Vlad glared for a brief second before realizing that he was glaring at Henry.

"Sir… is everything alright?"

Vlad flushed an even darker pink. Not trusting himself to open his mouth again, he just pointed to where his luggage waited and made his way quickly to the limo, shutting the door behind him. He slumped in his seat and sighed. _The sooner I tell my father and get this off my chest, the better_ , he thought, wearily.

But that evening, when Vladimir Masters knocked at the front door of his home and was greeted by his father with a firm handshake, he didn't say a word about school.

That night, when the family sat down for dinner and his father asked him about school, Vlad simply told him that things were going well. Neither his mother nor father commented on how little Vlad ate that evening.

Two days later, Mr. Masters Sr. hosted a prestigious benefit at their estate. When it was time for the host to make a speech and Mr. Masters smugly introduced his son as a business prodigy and the heir to Masters Industries, Vlad did not correct his father, but simply nodded politely in acknowledgment at the assembled crowd.

But had you asked anybody who had been at that party, nobody would have been able to recollect seeing Vlad following that speech.

And so the week passed. Opportunities to speak to his father were wasted, and Vlad's stomach grew more knotted by the day. His nights were sleepless, the bags under his eyes grew more pronounced, and he began to develop a nervous twitch, jumping at the slightest sounds. Finally, the evening before Vlad was supposed to go back to Wisconsin, even his self-absorbed parents noticed that their son was acting very strangely.

"Vladimir, you don't look too well," his mother commented that night as the family sat together in the living room. "Have you been getting enough sleep lately?"

Vlad had been sitting on a couch opposite to his mother, staring blankly out the window, but the sound of her voice startled him out of his thoughts and he jerked his head around to face her. "Well—" he started, but was quickly interrupted.

"Dear, you need to stop coddling the boy," his father chided, lowering the newspaper that he had been reading by the fireplace. "Vladimir needs to study hard if he wants to graduate with full honours at the top of his class. Sometimes you have to sacrifice a bit of sleep to be the best, but when he stands as the new boss of the family business in a few years, he will know that it was worth it." Mr. Masters looked at his son expectantly. "Isn't that right, son?"

Vlad bit the inside of his cheek. "Actually…" he started, nervously.

His father raised an eyebrow. "Actually what?"

"I-I was just going to say that… er… I don't need a few years to realize it. I already know that it's going to be worth it," Vlad lied quickly, then cursed his own cowardice.

Yet his father seemed satisfied by this answer.

Vlad had hoped that his father would go back to reading the paper, but instead he folded it up and placed it on the table before him. Vlad realized with dread that the conversation was far from over.

"Speaking of your studies, Vladimir… you've been very quiet lately. We haven't had much of a chance to speak since this semester started. Tell me, how are your grades?"

"Fine."

"Just fine?"

"I mean stellar, father, as usual."

"Good, good…" his father said, nodding his head. "And how about your professors? Are they all up to par? Are there any ones that you like in particular? You know, I once had the opportunity to work with a few of the business professors at your university. They are very intelligent people, Vladimir, you'd do well to listen carefully to what they say in lectures and take their advice!"

Somehow Vlad doubted that his father would be too thrilled to find out that his favourite professor taught him genetics. "Er—well… they're all… very… good," Vlad answered lamely.

His father frowned at Vlad's vague response. "Alright… well, how about your classes? What have you been learning this semester?"

"It's… it's all very dry, father, and I'm sure you know it all already anyways, seeing as you did a business major yourself," Vlad said slowly. "I don't want to bore you—"

"Nonsense. Vladimir, these stilted conversations are getting ridiculous! I do not understand why you are so reluctant to share things with me. You can _talk_ to me, son." His father was quiet for a moment, before sighing heavily. "Well, perhaps I sometimes come off as cold and unapproachable, but listen to me when I say that I care about your well-being. Perhaps I do not show it in the way you would hope me to, but I do. You're my son. We hardly speak anymore, Vladimir, and…" His father seemed to struggle for a brief moment, looking unsure of himself. Vlad realized that for a cold, logic-oriented business man who hated to waste his words, heart-to-heart talks weren't quite his forte. But Vlad could see that he was trying.

"… and?" Vlad prompted quietly.

Mr. Masters Sr. coughed, and cleared his throat. "And I want to fix that, Vladimir," he continued. "I want us to be on better speaking terms. Your accomplishments have brought much pride to our family—"

Vlad's eyes widened; he had never heard his father say that before.

"— and I have heard many great things about you from my colleagues who work at the university. But son… I wanted to hear about all of your accomplishments from _you_ ," his father finished.

Vlad swallowed and felt a lump in his throat. _He cares. He really does care._ And at that moment he realized that this was it. If he didn't say it now, he was afraid he would never again have the courage to do it.

A moment of silence passed and his father eyed Vlad uncertainly. "Son, is every—"

"I love studying science."

Vlad braced himself for an explosion, but in an uncharacteristic manner, his father stayed quiet. _That's a good sign,_ he thought to himself, his hope slowly building. _He didn't snap like he usually does when I bring up the topic. Maybe he really did mean what he said—_

Then his father shook his head and chuckled. "Son, I'm well aware of that, but I thought we were talking about business, not your other, well, interests."

Vlad's stomach sank at his father's words. "No, I don't think you understand—" Vlad tried again.

But his father held up his hand for his son to stop. "No, Vladimir, I _do_ understand. Science interests you. I wasn't very happy about it at first, but I've had some time to think it over and I realize that I may have been unreasonable."

Vlad faltered. "What… it… I mean… you have?" he asked, confused.

"I admit, I was a bit harsh, son. I suppose I had expected you to take up something else, but if studying science is what interests you, I suppose that it is an acceptable hobby," he said, amusement clear in his eyes.

But at the use of the word 'hobby', an intense anger flared in Vlad's chest.

 _His father wasn't taking him seriously._

Vlad took a deep breathe, trying to recollect himself. His breathe, however, came out shaky. "Father, listen, I know that maybe it's not what you were hoping—"

His father chuckled. "Son, it's alright. As long as it doesn't affect your business studies, I have no problem with this."

"No, father, let me explain—"

"Side interests are important, I recognize that—"

"No, you're not listening to what I'm trying to tell you—"

"—personally I took up golf, which always helped me deal with the stresses of the business world—"

"Father, I'm not talking about _golf_ , would you—"

"—of course if science does that for you, then I no longer see what's wrong with you doing a few little experiments on the side if that helps you release pent up stress—"

"They're not little—"

"—I can accept that—"

" _You're not listeni_ —"

"—though I really _do_ recommend golf, it's an excellent way to make contacts—"

" _LISTEN TO ME_!"

A hush filled the room as Vlad found himself on his feet, fists clenched and breathing heavily. His father looked shocked at his son's outburst. But Vlad wasn't done.

"YOU NEVER LISTEN TO ME!" Vlad shouted, and his father flinched. "YOU EITHER INTERRUPT ME OR WHEN YOU ACTUALLY LET ME FINISH, YOU DON'T TAKE A WORD THAT I SAY _SERIOUSLY_!"

"Vlad, darling, please, stop yelling —" his mother pleaded, her voice shaking. Vlad had completely forgotten that she was in the living room with them. Her normally-calm son's outburst had clearly frightened her, but in his anger, Vlad didn't care.

"NO! I WILL NOT! APPARENTLY THE ONLY WAY THAT I GET HEARD IN THIS HOUSE IS WHEN I _SHOUT_!" he spat, clenching his fists in anger and frustration.

His father, having seemingly recovered from his shock at his son's explosive outburst, frowned. "Vladimir, this kind of behaviour is unnecessary. Kindly lower your voice, sit down like the proper gentleman that I have raised you as and tell me what you wanted to say. _Calmly_."

Vlad took a deep breath, but he did not sit down, nor did he stop shaking. "No. First give me your word that you will actually _listen_ to me."

A note of irritation crept into his father's voice. "I said I was listening, Vladimir."

"Alright. Then listen to me when I tell you that I love studying science. But not as a hobby."

His father's eyes narrowed. "Tread carefully, boy."

But Vlad did not heed his father's dangerous tone.

"I dropped the business major."

His father stared at him blankly for a moment before bursting out into harsh laughter.

"Vladimir, I don't know what you were trying to accomplish with this prank, but—"

" _IT'S NOT A PRANK!"_

An icy chill filled the room.

" _Excuse_ me?" his father asked in disbelief.

"I dropped the business major. I've chosen to do a double major in biochemistry and genetics instead. But I didn't discard my business studies completely, I'm still going to minor in—" Vlad started to explain, but his father interrupted.

"And _how_ exactly is a business minor going to help you when it comes time for you to take over the family company, may I ask?" his father hissed. "How, Vladimir? How are _genetics_ and _biochemistry_ going to help you succeed in running a business?"

Vlad bit his lip. He looked once at his mother, who looked back at him with big, fearful eyes, and then glanced back at his glaring father. He took another deep breath.

 _I'm sorry, mother. I'm sorry, father._

"I can't do it."

"You can't do _what_ exactly, Vladimir?"

"I… I…" Vlad closed his eyes, but when he opened them again, he looked at his father straight on:

"I'm sorry, but I won't be taking over as the head of the company after I graduate."

Vlad's father froze.

"Vladimir… you don't mean that!" Surprisingly, it was Vlad's mother who spoke first.

Vlad turned to her, wringing his hands. "Mother… I'm sorry. You both have given me so much and I understand that Father has worked very hard to uphold the family company. I'm grateful for everything that you have done for me, but I can't do this. Don't you understand? I can't live my life based on anybody else's expectations anymore. It has made be completely miserable. I can't do it to myself anymore. Please understand…"

Tears formed in his mother's eyes. "Oh Vladimir, my so—"

" _Get out."_

Vlad and his mother flinched simultaneously. Vlad turned to look at his father, and took an involuntary step back as he met his gaze. He gasped at what he saw: pure, unadulterated disgust.

"W-what?" Vlad stuttered, shaking his head, not believing what he had just heard.

His father stood up slowly and lifted his arm, finger pointing at the door. "I said, _get out_ ," he repeated, arm and voice shaking in rage.

"Wha—?" Vlad's voice caught. _This wasn't happening_.

"Are you _deaf_ boy? I said _GET OUT_!" his father exploded. "You have been served _everything_ on a silver platter from the day you were born! I have worked day in and day out to provide for you and your mother, building up the Masters' name! And this is how I am repaid?! My life's _legacy,_ all of my work, dismissed by my only son because he wants to play _scientist? GET. OUT."_

Vlad paled. _No. No, no, no, no._

"F-father, please," he stammered, holding out his hands in defence. "I-I thought you'd understand once I explained—"

"You thought that I'd _understand_?" his father growled. "How could you possibly expect to justify taking the _gift_ that I have presented you with and discarding it without a second thought? How _dare_ you think you can justify dismissing my life's work just because you want to tinker with machines and mess around in a laboratory?!"

"I- I- just because I don't want to take over your company doesn't mean that your life's work has been _ruined_ ," Vlad spluttered defensively. "There are many competent and intelligent businessmen or women who would be just as capable of—"

"But I do not _WANT_ some random man or woman taking over my business!" His father shouted. "Tell me boy, what's the name of the family company?"

Vlad was thrown off by the question. "Masters Industries, but I don't—"

"Exactly, you dense boy! _Masters_ Industries! How could my company possibly be run by somebody other than a Masters? The company has been run by our family for generations! How could you possibly expect me to _understand_ that my only son wants to take this family tradition, this _legacy_ of ours, and just toss it away?"

"Father, I'm sorry! I don't want to hurt you or the family, but I just _can't do it_!" Vlad shouted back, his voice cracking. "I wouldn't be good for the company! I don't have the drive or passion for business! I'd never be able to run it as successfully as you do! I'd only be detrimental to the company!"

Vlad's father opened his mouth to retort but Vlad ploughed right on through.

"No, I'm not finished!" he cried out. "You're accusing me of all of this, but this could've easily been avoided had you bothered _asking_ me if I wanted to take over the company in the first place! A minute ago you said that you wanted to fix your relationship with me, but how can you even expect to _have_ a relationship with your son if you don't even bother to get to _know_ him? You never _bothered_ to ask about my goals, my dreams! You've been shoving the family company down by throat since the day I was born, assuming that I would just _comply_ with your ever wish and desire, but you never bothered to ask me what _I_ wanted—"

"I DO NOT _CARE_ WHAT YOU WANT!"

And with those seven words, Vlad's world shattered.

"Nikolay, darling, you don't mean that!" Vlad's mother gasped, as she looked back and forth between her son and her husband in horror.

"Silence, Maria!" Vlad's father commanded sharply. He turned his furious gaze back to Vlad and advanced until he stood a mere foot away from him. He pointed his finger in his son's face. "Now you listen to me, _boy_ ," he said threateningly. "I will give you one more chance to change your mind and make the right decision. So _decide now_. Either you go back to school, change back to a business major and forget all about this _science_ nonsense, or you can leave this house and never return."

Vlad stood rooted to the spot, paralyzed. He looked desperately to his mother, but all she did was give Vlad a pleading look as tears streamed down her pale cheeks.

 _No, no, no… It wasn't supposed to happen like this._ His mind was racing in panic. _What was he supposed to do? Maybe this whole thing had been a mistake. Maybe he should just do as his father said. Everything would be easier that way. Yes. His relationship would always be rocky with his father after this, but at least he would still have his family, and a place to come home to, and somebody who —_

' _You'll always have us. Me and Jack. As long as you need us, we'll be there.'_

Vlad's eyes widened as he remembered Maddie's words.

' _Do you promise?'_

' _I promise.'_

Then suddenly, his whole demeanour changed. He straightened up, took a deep breath, mustered up his courage, and said:

" _No._ "

Vlad's father bristled and his eyes flashed menacingly. Then, he moved so quickly that Vlad didn't even have a chance to blink before the back of his father's hand struck him hard, knocking him down to the ground.

Vlad gasped and looked up at his father in shock, cradling his burning cheek with his hand.

 _He hit me._

 _My father just hit me._

His father glared coldly at his son on the ground, and then turned his back on him. " _Get out._ "

Vlad's mother burst into tears, but she did not leave her seat.

Shaking, Vlad slowly got up to his feet and tried not to notice the smear of blood on his palm when he removed it from his cheek. He looked at his father's back and in his desperation he tried one last time: "F-father, please—"

His father's voice cut through his son's words like a knife:

"Do not call me 'father'. You are not my son."

All the colour drained from Vlad's face. He felt like he had been physically struck again, but this time it hurt so much more. He gulped, then opened his mouth to speak, but he found his throat too dry to make a sound. Something hot prickled his eyes, _but he couldn't, no, not in front of his f—_.

Without another word, Vlad turned his back on his parents and fled the room.

For the next half hour, Vlad was on autopilot, packing his clothes and belongings. He was numb as he sorted through his stuff. He tried to bloke everything out of his mind.

 _It didn't happen._

 _It didn't happen_.

 _It didn't happen_.

The next thing he remembered was walking down the hall and then down the stairs, dragging his lone suitcase behind him, trying not to think that this would be the last time he would ever set foot in this house. He briefly considered calling for Henry to drive him back to Wisconsin, or at least to the bus station, but then he remembered that Henry worked for Mr. Masters Sr., the man who had just disow—

 _It didn't happen._

 _It didn't happen_.

 _It didn't happen_.

So instead, Vlad walked out the front doors and into the blistering, cold winter's night.

Vlad didn't know if it was minutes later or hours later, but when he finally came out his shell-shocked state he saw that he was alone on the snowy road. He looked back, and the family estate was a small pinprick in the distance. He looked up the road in the other direction, and knew that if he kept walking for a few more miles he would find himself in town where he could get a bus ticket to take him back to Wisconsin. But suddenly, he was too exhausted to move. He moved to the side and sat down on the curb of the rode.

And then everything that had happened in the last few hours hit him like a truck.

He had no home. He had no inheritance. He had no family.

His breath quickened and he felt his eyes prickle again. He tried to collect himself, to regain some of the control that had been ripped out of his hands that night. The snow, which had been falling lightly earlier, began to come down more heavily.

 _Remember what Maddie and Jack said, remember your friends…_

But this time, as he sat all alone on the curb of a deserted road in the dead of winter, nothing could ease the grief that tore sharply at his chest. Every shaky breath, every heartbeat hurt.

 _It hurt so badly._

A sob tore through him.

He wanted desperately to stop, he wanted to pull himself together, but _damn it—_ he _couldn't._

 _He couldn't do it anymore._

And with a cry, Vlad broke down, each pained sob lost in the howl of the wind.

* * *

 **A/N:**

...

...

...

Er... I think I may have broken Vlad a little here...

I look forward to hearing your thoughts! I know this confrontation has been building since the start of the story, so I only hope that I did it justice. I probably wrote and rewrote some of the dialogue a good twenty times because I wanted it to be just right. I had a surprisingly tough time writing Vlad's father, too... but overall, I actually think that I like how this chapter turned out. Please leave a review and let me know how I did!

The next chapter is called 'Disowned', and I think it's obvious why. See you in two weeks!


	8. Disowned

**A/N:** I'm so sorry that this chapter took so long to come out! The last stretch of winter semester was really crazy and now I'm into exam season. I've been editing this chapter during breaks from studying, and now I think it's finally ready.

 **sundbergmelissa00** : Haha thank you, I'm glad you liked it! I hope you enjoy the next chapter as well!

 **MiaulinK:** I agree, a priority check would be good for Vlad's father. Who knows, though, perhaps things will change in the future. Perhaps not. I'm not telling hehe. But I can guarantee that that's not the last we'll hear of Vlad's father; his role in this story is not over. Also, I'm glad you like how I've been portraying Jack. I honestly find him the hardest character to write, especially when a situation calls for him to be more tactful and serious than he usually is, because that side of him was rarely explored in the tv show. This next chapter is a good example of that. Well, thank you so much for your lovely review, and I hope you enjoy the next chapter!

 **Invader Johnny:** It was very cruel and selfish of Vlad's father to treat his son like that, but unfortunately that confrontation was inevitable. There is definitely no going back after that blowout. The dynamic between Vlad and his (ex?)father will certainly be interesting, though, should they meet again in the future... *cough*... Hypothetically speaking, of course. Again, thank you so much for your amazing reviews, and I hope you like the next chapter!

Now on to chapter eight!

* * *

 **Chapter 8: Disowned**

Back at their apartment in Wisconsin, Jack was sitting on the couch, glancing anxiously at the clock every few minutes.

"Jack, I know you're worried, but I'm sure Vlad's alright," Maddie said kindly from the kitchen, where she was putting the finishing touches on dinner. The trio had made plans to eat together on the last night of the break, but when Maddie came by the apartment an hour earlier, she found that one of the boys still had not returned home.

"I guess…" Jack sighed. "But Mads, this is really unlike Vlad. He's hardly ever late, and if something comes up, he always calls. He said he'd be back this afternoon. So why isn't he back yet?"

Maddie agreed that it was unusual, but she didn't want to worry Jack even more by saying so out loud. "Maybe he's stuck in traffic. In the meantime, we should eat. Dinner's ready and I don't want it to get cold. I'll set some aside for Vlad. I'm sure he'll walk through the door any minute now!" she reassured.

But he didn't walk through the door. Not that evening, and not that night.

When Jack woke up the next morning for class, he checked Vlad's room, thinking that maybe his friend had come in late during the night. However, it was empty. Vlad was still missing.

Now really worried, he made his way to the living room, picked up the phone and dialled Maddie's number.

" _Hello?"_ came her voice as she picked up.

"Mads, Vlad didn't show up last night."

" _What? He's not home yet? But we have class today, Vlad never—"_

"—misses class, I know," Jack said, running his hand through his hair. "I don't know what to do. Do you think he's alright? Should we try to call his house in Maryland?"

The line was silent for a moment as Maddie hesitated. _"Let's give him the afternoon. Maybe something came up. The east coast had that snow storm this weekend, right? Maybe Vlad decided to hold out and travel when conditions were safer."_

"Maybe…"

" _How about this — if he hasn't come back by this evening, then we'll make some calls. For now, let's get to class. Maybe by the time we get back, he'll already be waiting for us at the apartment!"_

"Alright Maddie, I'll see you on campus, then." Jack hung up the phone. But as he made breakfast and got ready for class, he couldn't shake the nagging feeling that something was wrong.

The morning and afternoon passed uneventfully, and Jack struggled to pay attention in class as his thoughts kept straying to his best friend. When the professor dismissed the final class of the day, Jack all but ran back to his apartment.

"Vlad?" he called out as he opened the front door. However, the only response he received was silence. He looked around, and immediately noticed that Vlad's jacket was still missing from the coat rack. ' _What's going on?'_ he thought worriedly.

"Jack?"

He looked back at the sound of his name and saw Maddie climbing up the stairs to their apartment landing. "He's not back yet, is he?" Maddie asked, seeing the crestfallen look on Jack's face. She bit her lip.

"Should we check with the airport?" Jack asked. "Vlad was supposed to fly in to Wisconsin yesterday. Maybe his flight was cancelled?"

"Wait," Maddie said. "Let's call Vlad's house first. I'm sure his parents can tell us where he is."

The duo entered the apartment and slipped off their coats and boots before making for the telephone. Jack got there first and picked up the receiver, but he hesitated.

Maddie frowned. "What's wrong, Jack? You don't remember his phone number?"

"No, it's not that. It's… er…" Jack coughed sheepishly. "Vlad's dad kind of… scares me."

Maddie rolled her eyes. "Fine, I'll call," she said, holding out her hand for the phone.

Jack passed it to her and she dialled, then held the receiver to her ear as the phone rang… and rang…

Just as she was about to hang up, a cold voice answered:

" _Masters' residence."_

Maddie cleared her throat. "Hello, this is Maddie Foster! I'm just calling to ask about Vlad. He was supposed to arrive in Wisconsin last night, but he hasn't shown up yet. We were a little bit worried, and we wanted to ask you if—"

" _Who is this?"_ Vlad's father interrupted sharply.

"I—this is Maddie Foster, I'm a friend of your son, Vl—"

" _There is nobody named Vladimir living at this residence,"_ Vlad's father snapped, cutting her off abruptly. " _I highly suggest that you refrain from calling this number again."_

The line went dead.

Maddie slowly pulled the receiver away from her ear.

"What did he say?" Jack asked nervously, noting the shortness of the phone call.

Maddie looked up at Jack, eyes wide.

 _There is nobody named Vladimir living at this residence._

"Jack, something's not right… He said— he said that Vlad doesn't live there."

"What? Did we get the wrong number?" Jack asked, puzzled. "I swear that's the one Vlad gave me!"

Maddie shook her head and gently put the phone back in its cradle. "No, Jack, that was definitely Vlad's father…" she said in a pained voice.

Jack frowned. "So why would he—" and then his eyes widened as he suddenly understood Maddie's implication. "No," he gasped. "Vlad was supposed to tell his dad about the business major, wasn't he? But his dad didn't…" he trailed away, but Maddie knew. Nothing needed to be said out loud.

The two stood frozen by the phone for a moment before Maddie broke out of her stupor and rushed over to the coat rack at the apartment's front entrance. She slipped on her jacket that she had just taken off minutes before.

"Maddie, where are you going?" Jack asked, hurrying after her.

"We need to find him, Jack!" Maddie exclaimed, quickly wrapping a scarf around her neck and pulling her gloves on. "He's not okay, he can't be left alone after— after—" Maddie looked at Jack with pleading eyes. "We need to go, we need to go looking for him!"

Jack put his hand on Maddie's arm. "I know Mads, but we can't just go blindly searching for him. He could be anywhere between here and Maryland! How about this — I'll stay here, make some phone calls to the airport and bus station and check if anything has come in from Vlad's hometown in the last day. In the meantime, maybe you could go to campus and try to find one of our professors, see if maybe Vlad called them about his absence?"

Maddie nodded — that was something Vlad might do if he knew he wouldn't be back in time for the start of classes. "I think Professor Stein actually has his office hours right now. I can go to him first," she decided. After quickly slipping on her boots, she walked over to the front door and pulled it open. "I'll be back within an hour or two. If none of us find out anything…" she paused.

"Maddie, he'll be alright, we'll find him," Jack promised fiercely, and pulled her in for a tight hug which she returned gratefully.

"Thank you, Jack" she whispered. They pulled apart and she gave him a small smile before walking out the door and bounding down the stairs.

Jack sighed as he closed the door and made his way back into the living room to make his calls.

* * *

A minute later, Maddie reached the bus stop. It had stopped snowing and the sky had cleared, but the air was still brisk. She tightened her scarf around her neck and berated herself for not having put a hat on earlier that day. _I just hope poor Vlad isn't caught out in the cold._

Maddie looked up at the bus schedule, and cursed silently when she saw that the next bus wouldn't be coming for another half an hour. Making a quick decision, she turned the other way and walked towards the bike path that wound along the lake shore. She could walk along it and reach the university campus faster than if she waited for the bus. Besides, she couldn't bear to just stand and wait; she needed to move, to do _something._

She looked around as she walked quickly. A few people were out walking their dogs, and a very committed jogger, who had decided to brave the late afternoon cold, passed her along the path. Besides that, the path was rather empty. She was hardly surprised, though — on frigid days like today, most people preferred to stay in the warm confines of the indoors.

A few minutes passed before a figure in the distance caught her attention. It was a person — a young man, Maddie decided — sitting on a park bench a few hundred feet away from her.

The young man appeared to be hunched over, his head in his hands. As she got closer, she noticed with a frown that he wasn't wearing a hat or a scarf, or even a pair of gloves. Then she noticed that a lone suitcase lay beside the bench. _It must be his,_ Maddie reasoned. But why would somebody going somewhere or returning from their travels decide to just stop and sit in this cold? Didn't he have some sort of destination? Now that she thought about it, there was something very familiar about him, something about his—

Then Maddie froze. In an instant, she knew.

"Vlad?" she whispered, and even though her soft voice couldn't possibly have carried that far to where the young man sat, he jerked up suddenly and his startled blue eyes met her own.

 _Oh no._ Maddie immediately quickened her pace as she ran over to her friend.

She slowed as she reached him, and her movements became tentative as she was finally able to get a good look at her friend. He was pale, so pale, except for his nose and cheeks, which were bright red from the cold. The dark bags under his eyes were more prominent than ever, and his usually bright, blue eyes were dulled, haunted. Then she gasped as her eyes fell upon his right cheek, where a dark, mottled bruise and cut marred his features.

"Vlad, w-what on earth _happened_ to you?" Maddie asked in horror.

Vlad gave a little groan and put his head back in his hands. "M-Maddie, I'm so sorry… you've probably been worried to death," he said quietly. "I got here about an hour ago, but I just couldn't, I-I couldn't—" his voice cracked mid-sentence.

"Oh Vlad," Maddie whispered. She closed the remaining distance between them and knelt down in front of her friend. She placed her warm hands over Vlad's cold, numb ones, and gently leaned her forehead against the top of his head. The two stayed like that for a time.

When Vlad's ragged breathing had somewhat calmed, Maddie stood up slowly and gently drew Vlad's hands away from his head. She helped him sit back and she took a seat on the cold bench beside him. Vlad roughly wiped silent tears from his eyes before Maddie took his hands and covered them with her own gloved ones again, trying to protect them from the cold. The afternoon had grown late, and the sun had begun to lower in the sky.

"I suppose you must have already figured out what happened," Vlad said dully, breaking the silence.

"I— well…" Maddie hesitated. "It's just that when you never came home, Jack and I got worried and we decided to call your parents' house, but when your father—" Vlad flinched, "—when he picked up, he said…" Maddie stopped. "Well, we figured that something had gone wrong between you two."

Vlad snorted darkly. "That's the understatement of the year."

"Vlad, please," Maddie said quietly. "Can you tell me what happened?"

"There isn't really much to tell. I told my father the truth. He didn't quite believe me at first, but when he finally realized that I was being serious, he…" Vlad clenched his jaw tightly. "He threw me out of the house. He disowned me. He said that I that wasn't his son anymore.

"So I left. I packed everything I cared about into one suitcase, and I walked out of his house. I had no means of transportation, so I walked to town."

Maddie frowned and opened her mouth but Vlad stopped her.

"I know what you're going to say. And I agree. Looking back, that was completely stupid and reckless of me, walking alone through a snowstorm. In retrospect, I could have called a taxi. But I wasn't thinking. And I—I couldn't wait. I just had to— I had to _leave_.

"It was a long walk to town. The storm brought with it quite a bit of snow, which made the trek slower. By the time I got to the bus station, it was well past midnight and the last bus had already left. I slept — or at least tried to sleep — at the bus station that night."

"Why didn't you find a hotel room?"

"Like I said, I wasn't really thinking straight. I was exhausted and I just wanted to rest somewhere… I planned to catch the first bus out to Wisconsin the next day, but the snow fell hard all night and the roads were completely impassable in the morning. All buses were cancelled for the day. That's why I didn't come home yesterday.

"The bank, however, was opened later that day. I realized that I would need money if I wanted to actually buy a bus ticket and, well, eat that day, so I went and made an appointment. I suppose my one bit of luck was that I was assured by the manager that because I am, of course, a legal adult, my personal banking accounts are untouchable by my— _him_.

"Fortunately, I have a significantly large sum of money saved in these accounts, and I was told that any money already in my accounts was safe. Though I have a feeling that I will never again receive any further financial support from my family ever again…"

"But Vlad, why didn't call us?" Maddie asked.

"…I don't know," he replied, sounding very lost. "I just… I suppose I didn't know what to say. I spent that night in town, this time at a hotel, and then this morning I caught the first bus to Madison. I arrived at the terminal, took a city bus to campus, and then began to walk home."

"So why did you stop here?"

"I—I wasn't quite ready to come back."

"Vlad, I'm so sorry," Maddie whispered.

Then she flinched as Vlad gave a hollow laugh. "You know who else was sorry? My mother."

Maddie tilted her head to the side, not at all understanding the sudden change in topic. "Wh—?"

But Vlad continued as if he hadn't heard her. "You know what she did, Maddie? She did nothing. Absolutely _nothing_. It was really the icing on the cake, watching my own mother just sit there, _crying_ as she watched _that man_ tear me down, but did absolutely nothing to stop it. She just _sat there_!" he exclaimed. "She just _sat there_ , watching as he yelled at me to _get out_ , doing nothing as he— as he…" Vlad stopped suddenly and subconsciously reached for his injured check. Maddie gasped at the implication.

"He _didn't_ ," Maddie whispered in horror. "No! Vlad, tell me your father didn't—"

Vlad wrenched himself up off the bench and clenched his hands into fists.

 _Do not call me 'father'. You're not my son._

He began to shake. "Do you know what he told me?" he said, voice cracking. "Do you know what he said when I reached out to him and _pleaded,_ Maddie, I _pleaded_ for his support? When I begged him to, for once, take into consideration what I wanted out of _my own life_?"

Maddie watched her friend's back silently, and a lone tear tracked slowly down her cheek.

"HE TOLD ME HE DIDN'T _CARE_!"

Vlad's furious cry echoed across the lake.

"He never cared about me, Maddie. I see that now. But I always carried this hope that one day things would change. That I'd tell him the truth and that he'd understand and accept it. We never had a close relationship, but—but he was my _father_. But he never cared about Vlad Masters as his son. He only ever cared about Vlad Masters as his heir, as his perfectly groomed _puppet_ that would one day carry on his business _legacy—"_ he spat the word as if it were poison, "—that he sacrificed the happiness of his own _family_ to build."

Maddie stood slowly, and walked up to Vlad, embracing him gently from behind as she leaned her head against her shoulder. "I'm sorry, Vlad," she murmured softly. "Life can be so terribly cruel to people who don't deserve it."

"Perhaps I _do_ deserve it, Maddie," Vlad said, emotionlessly. "Maybe that's all I deserve. Misery and loneliness."

Maddie stiffened, then pulled back. Vlad's eyes widened in shock when she grabbed his shoulders, forced him to turn around, and glared fiercely at him.

"Now you listen to me, Vladimir Masters!" Maddie growled. "Don't you ever, _ever_ think that you don't deserve happiness. You are a good human being who was thrust into a bad situation. You can't choose your family, but you can choose your own destiny! You are just as entitled to happiness as everybody else!"

Her tone then softened. "What happened to you isn't fair. You deserve a family that will support you and your dreams. And if your family won't… That's horrible. I know you must feel broken, and angry, and devastated… But Vlad," she whispered, looking hard into his eyes. "Remember that you will always have people around you who _do_ care. Let go of what makes you miserable, let go of your hate and your anger. Surround yourself instead with people who care, people who will celebrate your happiness with you and help you reach your dreams. There will always be people like that in your life, Vlad. Like me. Like Jack. You just have to remember to never close yourself off to people who care. To people who love you. Even when you are scared and sad and angry, don't push them away. Because those people will help you through the hardest of times. They will always help you find the light in the dark."

She smiled tenderly at Vlad. "You're a good man, Vlad. Never forget who you are, and never forget those who care about you."

Maddie then kissed him gently on the cheek, and pulled him into a tight embrace.

For a moment, Vlad stood still as her words sank in. Then he returned her embrace and closed his eyes.

"Thank you, Maddie," he whispered.

* * *

As soon as he heard the front door open, Jack bounded off the couch and ran down the hall to see his two friends enter the apartment.

"Vlad!" Jack exclaimed in relief, and Vlad looked up at the sound of his friend's voice.

"Hi Jack," Vlad said quietly, raising a tired hand in greeting. "I'm sorry for worryi— _oof!"_

Vlad was cut off suddenly as his best friend ran over and gave him a huge bear hug.

"C-can't b-breathe—" Vlad gasped and Jack released him immediately, looking sheepish.

"Sorry Vladdie, I'm just relieved to see you! We've been worried sick since you didn't show up last night! But you're here now, that's what counts," his best friend said matter-of-factly.

"Sure…" Vlad nodded absently. Jack heard the exhaustion in his voice, and he stepped back to get a better look at his friend. He gasped.

"Vlad, is that a _bruise_ on your face? How did you get tha—" He stopped when he saw Maddie, who was standing behind Vlad, shaking her head and mouthing ' _Not now_ '. However, he noticed Vlad stiffen at the unfinished question.

Then something clicked and Jack understood. He clenched his fists as an intense anger flared in his chest, anger towards the man who had hurt his best friend like this. But he forced himself to calm down. Getting angry now would only upset Vlad more.

And this was about Vlad, now — he had to help his friend, not hurt him even more.

"Here, Maddie, why don't you take Vlad's suitcase to his room," Jack suggested. She nodded, and gave him a grateful look. As she passed him, she whispered very quietly so that only Jack could hear: _"We'll talk later."_

Jack nodded and turned back to his other friend. "Vlad, are you hungry? Do you want me to get you something to drink?"

Vlad blinked, and for a second Jack thought he was going to pass out where he stood. Then he shook his head. "No, I'm not hungry… I'm just tired," Vlad said slowly.

Jack nodded. "Alright, how about this — let's get you to bed, and while you're getting ready I'll make you a hot drink."

Vlad nodded lethargically. "Alright."

Jack supported his friend to his room, and then quickly ran back to the kitchen to make some tea. A moment later, Maddie came in and sat down at the kitchen table.

"So where did you find him?" Jack asked uncharacteristically quietly, as he waited for the water to boil.

Maddie sighed. "When I got to the bus stop and found out that the next bus wasn't coming for a while, I decided to walk down the bike path to the university instead. I stumbled across Vlad sitting on a park bench halfway there. Thank goodness I did, because I feel like Vlad would've sat there all night otherwise, based on the state that I found him in." She looked up at her friend, visibly upset. "I can't believe this, Jack. I feel so awful."

"Ya, me too…" Jack leaned heavily against the counter. "It's kinda scary. In three years, I've never seen Vlad look so _defeated_. He's usually so confident. Even when things get messy, he makes it seem like he's got everything under control. And if he gets knocked down by something, he always bounces back pretty quickly, the stubborn guy that he is. But tonight? He just looked —"

"—broken," Maddie finished soberly. "I know."

It was quiet in the kitchen for a few minutes, until the whistling of the boiling kettle broke the silence.

"So… what are we going to do?" Jack asked seriously, taking the kettle off the stove and pouring the boiling water into a mug with a tea bag.

"We'll do everything that Vlad needs us to do," Maddie decided firmly. "We're going to be there for him. We're going listen to him when he wants to talk. We'll give him space when he asks for it. And we're going support him as any good friends would."

Jack nodded, and gave her a small grin. "Sounds like a game plan."

* * *

Vlad spent the whole night and a good part of the next day sleeping. When he finally woke up, the first thing he did was peak at his alarm clock. His eyes widened when he saw the time.

 _Four in the afternoon?!_

He sat up abruptly, his heart racing. "Oh no, I can't believe I slept through class!" Vlad groaned. "Why didn't Jack wake me up? He knows that I can't miss even a single lec—"

And then the memories of the last few days came rushing back, hitting him like a punch to the stomach.

Vlad squeezed his eyes shut and fell back onto his bed with a small _thump_.

 _Maybe I'm just dreaming. In a moment, I'll wake up and it'll be the week before spring break again and this whole thing will just have been one bad dream_. He opened his eyes again and saw in disappointment that he was still laying in his bedroom. _Damn_. _Seems like I'm living the nightmare after all_.

He stayed like that for a while, staring up at the ceiling. He knew he should probably get up and do something productive. Maybe catch up on the schoolwork that he had missed.

But at that moment, he didn't care.

He just felt _numb._

Vlad rolled onto his side and closed his eyes. _Maybe I can just sleep here forever…_

But that plan was instantly discarded when he heard a loud _crash_ coming from somewhere inside the apartment. _Who…?_

He threw back his covers and leapt out of bed. Quietly, Vlad made his way over to his door and inched it open, his heart pounding. He peaked his head out into the hallway, and did a double take when he smelled… _pancakes?_

Confused, but at least certain that it wasn't a robber — unless somebody had broken into their apartment to use their kitchen, though Vlad figured he'd take his chances —, he made his way into the living and dining room. He was startled by what he saw.

"Jack?" he exclaimed in surprise. "You're supposed to be at school right now! What are you doing here?"

His best friend stood in the centre of the kitchen, wearing a bright pink apron (Maddie's — Vlad knew for a fact that Jack did not own an apron) that clashed brilliantly with his bright orange t-shirt. "I decided to take the day off. You hungry?"

Vlad was thrown. "… What?"

Jack gestured to the dining table, which Vlad noticed held plates of hot pancakes, fruits, toast, eggs and bacon. "I said, are you hungry? There's food for you!"

Vlad raised an eyebrow at his friend. "Is it… edible?" he asked cautiously.

Jack's face fell almost comically. "Oh come on Vladdie, my cooking isn't that bad, is it?"

"Well, yes, it is. Why do you think I always offer to do the cooking?"

"Okay, so maybe I'm not a master chef," Jack admitted. "But don't worry, this food is different."

"How?"

Jack smirked. "Because Maddie made it."

"Ah, that does make a lot more sense." Vlad pulled a chair back and sat down at the kitchen table. "So, is she here, too?"

Jack untied his apron and threw it on the counter before taking a seat at the table with his friend. "Nah, she was here earlier to check in and cook the food, but she had a lab that she couldn't miss, so she left about an hour ago. I thought I heard sounds coming from your room not too long ago, so I just re-heated the food now."

"Mm…" Vlad filled his plate silently, and began to eat. It _did_ taste really good, he noted, but despite that he wasn't able to stomach very much before he put his fork back down.

Jack frowned. "Is it not good? I could get you something else if you want."

"No, no," Vlad shook his head. "It's great and I really appreciate you two making all of this, but… I'm sorry, I just don't have much of an appetite."

"Hey, no worries Vladdie, we can pack it up and save it for later if you get hungry," Jack reassured. "You just take it easy."

Vlad nodded, and spent a few minute playing idly with his fork. He seemed to be deep in thought, but Jack stayed quiet, not wanting to rush his friend.

Then Vlad broke the silence. "I wanted to thank you," he said slowly. "Not just for staying home today, and making all of this me for me, but… for being so patient last night. I know you probably had a lot of questions, and I know I worried you when I didn't come home Sunday night and I dropped off the face of the Earth without so much as a phone call. You had every right to be angry, and—"

"Vlad," Jack interrupted, and his friend looked up at him, startled. "This isn't about me. This is about you. You do what you need to do. If you want to rest, you rest. If you want to talk, then we can talk. We'll do things at your pace, okay?"

 _You'll always have us. Me and Jack. As long as you need us, we'll be there._

"… Thank you," Vlad said gratefully, and Jack noticed his friend's posture relax a little.

"I do have one question, though," Jack said, his expression becoming more serious. "And please answer honestly, for once."

Vlad frowned. "What is it?"

"Are you alright?"

Vlad closed his eyes. It was a question that Jack had asked him countless times in the past, and Vlad would always answer 'yes'. Even when it wasn't true. But he had never lied to fool Jack. He had always lied to fool _himself,_ to trick his mind into believing that everything was okay.

But everything _wasn't_ okay. What was the point of pretending anymore? What was the point of lying, when everybody including himself knew the truth?

"No, I'm not. I'm not alright. Not even _close_."

And as Vlad said those words out loud for the first time, he felt something click inside of him. The words felt _right._ He still hurt — he hurt a lot. But maybe it was time to _let_ himself feel hurt. Maybe, just maybe, the key to feeling whole again was to let himself feel broken.

And so the healing process began.

* * *

 **A/N:** And there we have it!

I know the last few chapters have been kind of heavy, but I like to think that this chapter finally ended on a better note. Not happy, but hopeful.

The next chapter will have a slight change of pace and will be more light-hearted than the last few chapters have been. It includes an important realization, naturally some character development, and a funny cameo from a character from the tv show! The chapter was fun to write, so hopefully you'll enjoy it too. It's called "Summer Thrills and Spills"! Actually, we only have a few more chapters left before the big finale of the first arc (which is likely going to be chapter twelve). Then on to arc two of the story... which I should probably start writing a proper outline for.

Because of exams, I can't guarantee that the next chapter will be out in two Tuesdays, but it should be out soon after. Honestly, I hit a bit of a roadblock writing chapter ten and I didn't have much motivation to write over the last couple of weeks... I finally wrote another page and a half yesterday, though, so I think I'm getting back on track with it. I promise though, I will never abandon this story! I am seeing this through to the end, regardless of the bumps in between. Honestly, reading all of your lovely reviews is the best source of motivation for me, so please leave a review with your thoughts on how this story is going!

See you all soon!


	9. Summer Thrills and Spills

**A/N:** I'm back! Now that exams are done, I finally had the chance to edit and post this chapter. I've had a rough last couple of weeks, but things are finally looking up again, which is a relief. Still, I am in desperate need of a vacation right now.

On a side note: I will now be replying to reviews directly instead of at the start of each chapter. That being said, thank you so much to my lovely readers who have left me reviews; you definitely motivate me to keep writing!

Well, without further ado: here's chapter nine!

* * *

 **Chapter 9: Summer Thrills and Spills**

The first week after Vlad came home was the hardest.

He spent the first few days in his bedroom. Mostly, he slept. On the occasion that he would get up, he would just sit and brood, lacking motivation to do anything productive. He didn't eat much. He didn't speak much.

However, Maddie and Jack never gave up. They alternated taking classes off so that somebody was always home with Vlad. They were incredibly patient and only every showed their support. Together, they helped Vlad pick up the pieces. They sat with him, they listened to him, they gave him space when he asked for it, and they encouraged him when he needed it.

Then, after a week of gentle coaxing and prodding, they managed to get Vlad out of the apartment and go to class. Once Vlad returned to school, things started to fall back into place. At first, he had to force himself to wake up, go to class and study, but as his drive and motivation slowly returned, he began to settle into the routine and eventually, start enjoying it again.

In time he began to smile more often, and after a few weeks he found that he could laugh again. With the help of his friends, Vlad started to heal, and with healing came an incredible freedom that he had never experienced before.

By the end of his third year of studies, Vlad knew that he had made the right decision. Although any reminders of his parents continued to hurt, he knew that he had done the right thing by standing his ground and pursuing his dreams. Now that he could finally dedicate himself to the studies that he loved, he threw himself into his work with a new zeal. His spark was back, and it did not go unnoticed by his friends and his professors.

After the final winter term exam was written, Vlad and Jack decided to move into a smaller apartment. Although Vlad still had a small fortune in his personal savings, his father had frozen any further transfers to his accounts. Vlad realized that now that his money was limited, he would have to be more careful with it. So together, the two boys found a less expensive apartment, still within a reasonable distance from campus, to live in; they moved in that spring.

Jack decided to go home for the summer — he had a job lined up for him there, and his family had decided to take a three-week cross-country RV trip right after school ended. Maddie, on the other hand, had landed a summer job working in the paranormal studies lab with Professor Stein, and decided to stay in Madison for the summer.

Vlad, too, landed himself a paid summer research position, but in Professor Larson's genetics lab. He was particularly thrilled to land the job since the professor rarely took on undergraduate students in his lab. Most positions were offered to graduate students, but the professor had been incredibly impressed with the caliber of Vlad's work and his insight. So although that summer involved a lot of hard work, it was the best and happiest summer that Vlad had ever spent.

When he wasn't working in Professor Larson's lab, he spent his time with Maddie. On weekdays, they would frequently eat dinner together, and on the weekends, they would often to go on short trips, just the two of them. Some weekends it was to the beach; some times it was to the movies; other weekends got a bit more adventurous.

The first time Maddie suggested outings like kayaking and rock climbing, Vlad had certainly been skeptical. Not that he was in bad shape or anything — physical health had always been an important part of Vlad's life, largely due to his father's constant emphasis on the importance of image — but he typically stuck to more low-key activities to keep in shape, like jogging, swimming and cycling. More extreme sports had _definitely_ never been a part of his life.

But Maddie was insistent, and soon Vlad relented. He had honestly been surprised by how much he enjoyed himself. Though he put his foot down at the mention of certain more extreme activities such as bungee jumping ("I choose life, thank you," he told Maddie very firmly when she suggested it), he found that he greatly enjoyed all of their other adventures. Rock climbing, white-water rafting, kayaking, mountain biking — he tried it all with her.

The day they went zip-lining was one of Vlad's favourite outings:

"Are you sure that this is safe?" Vlad asked warily as he peered over the platform that he was standing on. The ground certainly seemed a long way down…

"Of course!" Maddie reassured. "They test these wires every day, don't worry."

"Alright, so who wants to go first?" their zip lining guide asked.

"Vlad will go!" Maddie said, volunteering her friend.

"W-what?" Vlad spluttered. "No no, you go ahead — ladies first!"

Maddie shook her head. "Uh uh, if I go first you might chicken out on me, and we can't have you doing that," she teased.

"I would not _chicken out_!" Vlad said indignantly. "Fine, I _will_ go first." He stepped up to the edge of the platform and their guide attached his pulley to the cable. After double checking his harness and attaching a back-up safety carabiner to the cable, he gave Vlad the go-ahead signal.

Vlad took a deep breathe, and exhaled slowly.

"Come on Vlad, don't be scared, just go for it!" Maddie encouraged.

"Who said I was scared?" Vlad replied, a bit touchily. _Come on Vlad, do it!_

"Just relax and sit down into your harness," their guide suggested. "Gravity will do the rest!"

 _Oh heck no, Vlad Masters sure as hell wasn't going to just sit down, meekly close his eyes and come off as a complete coward in front of everyone._

Steeling his nerves, he turned to Maddie and gave her a wicked grin. "Watch this!" He backed up to the opposite edge of the platform, checked his pulley one last time to make sure that it was resting properly on the cable, and took a running start. As he reached the end of the platform, he gave a powerful push with his sneaker, and then with a _woosh,_ he was flying down the cable.

His breath caught in his chest as his zipped over the canopy of the treetops below him. Wind whipped through his hair and the sun warmed him from above. He leaned back and lifted his face to the sky. Adrenaline rushed through his veins and excitement bubbled in his chest, and he let out a laugh as he flew through the sky.

 _He was free._

Too soon did he reach the end of the line. After reaching the platform, he unclipped himself from the wire and watched for Maddie, who soon came flying in as well.

"That was— that was beyond exhilarating!" Vlad exclaimed as Maddie pulled herself onto the platform. "It was like we were—"

"—Flying!" Maddie finished his sentence, cheeks still flushed with excitement. "I know, what an incredible rush!"

Vlad chuckled, eyes crinkling with laughter. "Imagine what it would be like to _really_ fly!" he said. "What I wouldn't give to have that ability…"

Maddie laughed. "It would be pretty incredible, wouldn't it?"

Vlad smiled. "So incredible. Oh Maddie, I lo—" He froze and his heart skipped a beat.

 _Oh God._

Maddie tilted her head. "Vlad… are you okay?" she asked uncertainly. "You spaced out there. What were you saying?"

Vlad shook his head and flashed her a quick smile, but inside his chest his heart was pounding. "Nothing, nothing. Are you ready to do the next zip-line course?"

Maddie gave him an odd look, but decided to overlook his strange behaviour. "Sure, of course! We need to wait for our guide, first, but then we'll go!"

As they waited for their guide to come zipping down the cable, Vlad's heart continued to race. It seemed like, without him realizing it, something else had happened that summer:

He had fallen in love with Madeline Foster.

* * *

On the last weekend of summer, days before Jack was supposed to return and classes were to recommence, Vlad and Maddie decided to spend their last weekend of freedom camping on Madeline Island.

"You know, Maddie, you never told me that you owned your own island here in Wisconsin," Vlad teased as the two sat on the rocks overlooking Lake Superior. Night had just fallen, and a myriad of stars twinkled across the sky. A small campfire flickered softly behind them, providing a warm glow.

"If only," she chuckled lightly. "It's so beautiful here. So quiet. I could spent weeks here and be happy."

"Me too," Vlad agreed. He sighed happily as he fell onto his back, crossing his arms behind his head. Maddie joined him, and together they lay on their backs, side by side, watching the night sky.

And he really was happy. He was more tan and fit than ever. Life was carefree and stress-free. He spent his weekdays working in the field that he loved, and spent his weekends with the woman that he loved.

Love. Boy, had that completely blindsided him. He hadn't realized it until he had almost said it out loud that day at the zip lining park. But the more he had thought about it, the more it made perfect sense to him.

It just felt so _natural_ being with her. She always knew what to say to make him laugh and smile. Maddie was a beautiful, intelligent, and caring woman. She always had so much energy and positivity, and it was incredibly contagious — and Vlad loved that too. Her presence was always a comfort, and her support had been invaluable to Vlad over the last few months. She somehow always seemed to know exactly what to say and how to help. She was one of his best friends. Being with Maddie just felt so _right_.

But what he valued the most was that he could always be himself around her. Maddie had seen him at his best and at his very worst, and she had stuck by him, accepting him for who he was. Not only that, but she managed to bring out the best in him, even when he had been at his lowest point. And that meant the world to Vlad.

So really, when he thought about it, it wasn't a surprise at all that he had fallen in love with her.

 _But does she love you back?_ A little voice in his head asked. Vlad frowned slightly. He didn't know. There was no doubt that their friendship was strong, especially after the summer that they had just spent together. There were signs that Vlad thought perhaps indicated something more than friendship: their sometimes flirty banter, their long hugs, her lingering touches on his arm…

"Maddie… I…" he started, but hesitated. What if those signs didn't mean anything? What if they were just innocent signs of friendship? If that was true and Maddie didn't return Vlad's feelings after all…

Maddie tilted her head to the side to look at her friend. "What is it, Vlad?" she asked kindly.

Vlad shook his head and sighed. "Nothing, it's nothing. I just wish… that we didn't have to go back tomorrow."

Maddie hummed. "Me too."

The two lay there for a while, sometimes making small talk, sometimes in silence, simply content in each others' presence. Vlad closed his eyes and smiled to himself. Perhaps one day he'd build up the courage to tell her how he felt. He would give it time, and let their relationship grow naturally for a while. If it led to something greater, he would become the happiest man on Earth. For now, however, he was content with their strong friendship. He valued it greatly, and it was not something he wanted to ruin by acting prematurely and speaking too boldly.

Suddenly, Maddie sat up and pointed at the sky. "Look, Vlad!" she said excitedly. "A shooting star! Make a wish!"

Vlad sat up beside her and watched the star blaze across the sky. He closed his eyes.

Maddie looked at him, eyes bright. "So, what did you wish for?"

Vlad chuckled. "You know I can't tell you that. It might not come true if I do!"

She leaned her head on his shoulder. "Well, whatever it was, I hope it does come true."

"Me too, Maddie. Me too."

* * *

The next afternoon, Maddie and Vlad returned from their camping trip and were greeted by an enthusiastic Jack, who hadn't seen his two best friends all summer.

"Maddie! Vladdy-my-man! How have you guys been? I've missed you two like crazy!" Jack exclaimed, rising from the couch as Vlad and Maddie entered the apartment, laden with duffel bags. He bounded over, and after helping Maddie put her bags down, he gave her a big hug, lifting her up in the air.

Maddie laughed. "I missed you too, Jack! It's great to see you!"

Smiling, Jack put her down and let her go, then turned to Vlad. His eyes went wide. "Wow, Vladdie, you look great!" Jack said in surprise. "I thought you were working in the lab all summer — but you're so _tan!_ "

Vlad chuckled, looking down at himself. "I have Maddie over here to thank for that. Every weekend she would drag me out on some sort of crazy escapade or adventure out in the sun."

Maddie put her hands on her hips. "I _dragged_ you out? From what I recall, the one week that I was away visiting my family, you called me a total of _five times_ saying how _bored_ you were just sitting at home, and how you wished I was back in Wisconsin so we could go out and do something fun!" She teased.

"Ah, touché," Vlad said, smirking.

Jack watched the exchange, a questioning look in his eyes. Something had changed during that summer, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it…

Pushing the thought away for the moment, Jack went over and embraced his best friend. Vlad patted him on the back. "I'm glad to see you, too, Jack," Vlad said, smiling.

Jack stepped back, beaming. "Alright, so I had an idea! In celebration of our reunion, let's go out to dinner!"

"Sure, why not!" Vlad said. He picked up his duffle bag and went to his bedroom to put it away.

"Ooh that sounds fantastic!" Maddie said. "But do you think I could invite my housemate, too? I promised to eat dinner with her tonight, but I'm sure she wouldn't mind going out with us instead!"

"You mean Harriet?" Vlad's voice called from his room. "Of course, she's always welcome!"

"Harriet?" Jack asked Maddie, puzzled. "You don't live with Charlotte anymore?"

Maddie looked at Jack in surprise. "No, she graduated last spring! She did a three-year degree, so she moved out back in May. Harriet's housemate also graduated, and she needed a new place. I invited her to stay with me. I thought I told you that!"

"Don't give him a hard time, Maddie, you know Jack's memory isn't the greatest," Vlad teased as he returned from his bedroom.

"Hey, that's—" Jack began to protest before he was cut off by Vlad.

"Completely true?"

Jack contemplated it for a moment before grinning. "I guess you're right."

"I always am, Jack, I always am," Vlad smirked as he opened the fridge to pour himself a glass of water.

Maddie rolled her eyes. "Alright Mr. Forgetful and Mr. Ego, I'm going home to change and grab Harriet. Once you two are ready, come by my apartment and we'll head out to dinner together."

So about an hour later, after Vlad had showered and changed out of his camping clothes, he and Jack arrived at Maddie's apartment, ready for dinner.

"You two look nice!" Maddie said appreciatively as she opened the door to let them in. She looked over her shoulder, and called, "Harriet, the boys are here, are you ready?"

"Coming!" a voice called from within the apartment, and a few seconds later Maddie's housemate came around the corner. She was not too tall, about Maddie's height, but she carried herself very elegantly and she was a very pretty girl with bright, green eyes and long, black hair.

"Harriet, you look beautiful, as always," Vlad said, very suavely. He gestured in Jack's direction. "This is Jack, my housemate. Jack, this is the lovely Harriet."

Jack realized that Maddie must have already introduced Vlad to her new housemate over the summer. He held out his hand, and said, "It's good to meet you!"

Harriet smiled and shook his hand. "My pleasure."

"So do you usually go by Harriet, or can I call you Harry?" Jack asked innocently, trying to make conversation. But at his words, Harriet's smile slipped a little.

From the corner of his eye, Jack noticed both Maddie and Vlad freeze at his question, but Jack was confused. Had he touched on a sensitive subject?

"Actually, I prefer Harriet, if you don't mind," she said a bit stiffly.

"Ahhh anyways," Maddie said, breaking the sudden awkward tension. "We should get going. The bus should be here in about five minutes, and we don't want to miss it."

The group left the apartment together, Maddie locking the door behind them, and after a short bus ride into town they arrived at the Italian bistro at which Vlad had made reservations. They were soon seated at a table for four — Jack and Vlad sitting on one side of the table, and Maddie and Harriet on the other.

"I'm really excited for our paranormal studies courses this year!" Maddie was saying as the waiter left the table to get their drink order. "And now that we're in our fourth year, the department's paranormal studies lab is open to us. We're definitely going to want to take advantage of that once we start working on our final research project. Speaking of which, we still need to choose a topic for that…"

"Maddie, I've been telling you all summer, I think it would be worth continuing the research that I started last year regarding the ghost dimension. You read the research and you even told me yourself that we should pursue it," Vlad reminded her.

Maddie bit her lip. "I know Vlad, and I maintain what I said, but if we _do_ go for that topic, it's going to involve an incredible amount of work and countless hours in the lab—"

"Wait, hold on, did you say _ghost dimension_?" Harriet asked in bewilderment. "What in the world is _that_ supposed to be?"

"Think of it as a dimension parallel to our own. But instead of humans living in it… well, you have ghosts," Vlad explained simply.

"Ghosts?"

"Well yes, or more specifically, imprints of post-human conscio—"

"No, no, I know what a ghost's supposed to be, I'm not an idiot," Harriet interrupted, waving her hand dismissively. "I meant to say, where's your proof of any of this? If you want to publish any claims as controversial and as skeptical as the existence of _ghosts_ and a supposed _ghost zone_ in which they live, Maddie's right, you're going to have to provide some _very_ concrete evidence if you expect anybody to believe you."

Vlad chuckled lightly. "You still have one more year left in your studies, but I can see that you're already embracing your inner journalist, Ms. Chin," he teased.

Then very suddenly, Jack — who, up until that point, had been listening quietly to the conversation — let out an 'oh!', and his face lit up in realization.

Vlad looked quizzically at his friend. "Everything alright, Jack?"

"Yeah! I mean no… I mean… It's just that I totally get it now, why you hate the nickname 'Harry'!" Jack exclaimed. "Man, I am so _sorry_ about that earlier. I wondered why you got so annoyed when I said it—"

" _Jack_ ," Vlad hissed in warning under his breath as the expression on Harriet's face turned stony, but his oblivious friend continued on.

"—but now it makes sense. I mean, that would definitely be pretty embarrassing, being called 'Harry Chin' —OW!" Jack cried out mid-sentence as Vlad kicked him in the shin under the table.

" _Stop. Talking,"_ Vlad hissed under his breath.

"But I didn't say anything wrong!" Jack insisted, genuinely confused at the sudden tension. "I felt bad for not catching on earlier, so I was just telling Harriet that I now get why she doesn't want anybody calling her Harry Ch— _Hey!_ "

In response to Vlad's second kick, Jack sent one of his own in Vlad's direction.

"OW!" Harriet cried, hunching over as she grabbed for her shin.

Jack gasped when he realized that he had mis-aimed his kick. "Shoot, I'm so sorry!"

Harriet only glared, her eyes watering in pain.

"Harriet, dear, it was an accident, Jack didn't mean to do that!" Maddie assured quickly, trying to save the situation. She gave Vlad a pointed look, and he picked up her meaning right away.

"Here, how about I go get some ice for you, Harriet," Vlad said smoothly, standing up. He grabbed Jack's arm. "Jack, come with me, we'll go get it together!" Without giving his friend a chance to respond, Vlad pulled him out of his chair, and steered him not-too-gently towards the restaurant's kitchen.

"What in the _world_ were you thinking?" Vlad demanded once they were out of the girls' earshot. "Going on like that, when it was so obvious how much the name _bothers_ her—"

"Vladdie, honestly, I had no idea!" Jack exclaimed, eyes wide. "I didn't realize… you've got to believe me!"

Guilt was apparent in Jack's voice. Vlad sighed, then shook his head. "I believe you, Jack… Come on, we'll get some ice, and you'll take it to Harriet and apologize again."

Jack looked relieved. "Thanks Vlad," he said, sincerely.

"Oh, and Jack?" Vlad said, after he had knocked on the kitchen door and received a bag of ice from one of the waiters.

"Yeah?"

"Maybe you should just leave the talking to me and Maddie for the rest of the night," Vlad suggested dryly, handing his friend the bag of ice.

"Got it," Jack agreed sheepishly.

Evidently Maddie had managed to placate her housemate and put in a few good words about Jack while the two boys had been gone, because upon returning to the table and giving her the ice, Harriet's look of anger had subsided mostly into plain wariness.

"I really am sorry about that," Jack was still apologizing profusely as he sat back down at the table.

"It's alright," Harriet accepted Jack's apology, though she kept her chaired pulled away from the table a few more inches than one normally would.

Just then the waiter appeared, a bottle in one hand. "Your wine," he said politely, placing the bottle on the table. The cork came out with a faint 'pop'. "Would you like me to pour the drinks?" the man offered.

Vlad held up his hand politely. "No thank you, we'll manage," he said.

The waiter inclined his head. "I will be back in a minute to take your dinner orders."

As the waiter walked away, Jack stood up and reached for the bottle. "Alright, so who here wants a drink?" he asked, grinning.

Vlad frowned apprehensively. It was evident in Jack's voice that he was eager to make up for his earlier blunders, but Jack pouring well… _anything_ was more likely to cause problems than fix any. "Jack, why don't you let me pour the wine, hm?" Vlad suggested, while the look he gave his best friend was saying ' _Remember what we just talked about a minute ago?'_

But Jack waved off Vlad's suggestion. "I got it, Vladdy, don't worry!" He looked over at Harriet. "Did you want a drink?"

Harriet hesitated briefly, still wary from the table-kicking incident, but she handed over her glass anyways. "Sure, thank you, Jack."

Vlad held his breath as Jack carefully poured her glass of wine, and had to stop himself from letting out a sigh of relief when Jack pulled back the bottle, having not spilled a single drop.

Harriet, too, seemed to relax in her seat. _Obviously Jack's clumsiness earlier really was an accident, not an common occurrence_ , she thought to herself as she reached out delicately for the glass that Jack was now offering back to her—

"WOAH!"

A shriek rang throughout the restaurant.

Harriet stood up slowly from her chair, hands raised, looking down at her once-white shirt now drenched in red wine, a look of horror on her face. The wine glass, having flown out of Jack's hand when he slipped, lay shattered on the table, and a splatter of dark red extended across the tablecloth in Harriet's direction. Spilt wine dripped slowly from the table onto the floor.

Vlad and Maddie just sat there, mouths open.

"Oh sh— I'm so sorry!" Jack exclaimed again, eyes wide, as he pushed himself off of the table that he had caught to break his fall. "The ice bag that we brought you, it must've dripped water on the floor, and I… didn't do it on purpose, I slipped, I swear—"

Harriet held her hand out, cutting off Jack's rambling.

"Stop," she said forcibly, her face flushed the same colour as the wine splattered all over her clothes. "Just. Stop. _Talking_."

Jack just stood there, mouth open, uncertain of what to do next. "Harry, I-I—"

"STOP _CALLING_ ME THAT!" she shrieked suddenly, losing all composure. Pointing a finger in accusation, she continued to yell, "Jack Fenton, you are a walking _disaster!_ You are the most _obnoxious, oblivious_ human being that I have _ever_ had the _misfortune—"_

"Harriet, please," Maddie interrupted, putting her hand on her friend's arm. "Let's go to the bathroom, get you cleaned up, then we can come back and finish dinner. I promise that Jack will not be handling any more drinks, or food, or _anything_." She gave Jack a stern look, who continued to gape at Harriet.

Harriet wrenched her arm out of Maddie's grasp. "Oh _hell_ no!" She grabbed her jacket, threw it on roughly, and swiped her purse up from the ground. "I refuse to be within a hundred _feet_ of this bumbling _imbecile!_ "

With that, she storm out of the restaurant, Maddie hot on her heels after quickly grabbing her own things.

"I'll sort this out!" she promised, before she ran after her friend into the night.

Jack just stood there, frozen, like a deer caught in the headlights. He was then startled out of his shock by a snort coming from beside him. He looked over to see Vlad struggling to stifle his laughter, his hand over his mouth.

Jack moaned. "Vlad, what the heck, it's not funny! That was so _embarrassing_!"

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't be laughing, it's not funny at all," Vlad said, shaking his head, but he couldn't stop himself from giving another snort of laughter. "I just can't help it, I keep picturing it happening in slow motion…"

"Vlaaaad, seriously, it's not funny! How am I ever going to live that down? And it's not just anybody I spilled red wine on, it's Maddie's housemate! I'm such an _idiot_." Jack slumped into his chair, putting his head in his arms. A moment later, he felt a hand pat him on his shoulder gently.

"Jack, I spat a glass of backwash all over a respected university professor in the middle of a student-professor luncheon. And you know what? I work in his lab now. You'll be fine."

Jack looked up at his friend uncertainly. "Are you sure?"

Vlad gave him a teasing smirk. "Didn't I tell you earlier that I'm always right?"

Jack shoved his friend lightly, but there was now a fraction of a smile on his face. He let Vlad pull him out of his chair, and accepted his jacket from his friend.

"Come on, Jack, let's go home."

* * *

"So… what did Harriet say?" Jack asked nervously.

It was later that night, and the trio was back at Jack's and Vlad's apartment. Vlad had offered to cook dinner, since the fiasco had happened before they had the chance to eat anything at the restaurant. Jack and Maddie sat in the living room as Vlad worked away in the kitchen.

Maddie hesitated. "Well, I tried to talk her around, and I relayed your apology to her, but…"

"But what?" Jack asked.

"She had a few choice words to say. I could paraphrase, but I guess the point is—"

"That we won't be having any group dinners for the next little while?" Vlad interjected dryly from the kitchen.

"Something like that."

Jack looked away, but not before Maddie could see the dejected look on his face. She put a comforting hand on his arm.

"Jack, dear, don't be so hard on yourself," she said soothingly. "Nobody holds a grudge over an accidental kick and some spilt wine. She'll get over it."

Jack sighed. "No, maybe she's right. I _am_ just a bumbling idiot. Every time I try to do something right, I end up screwing it up."

"Jack Fenton!" Maddie started sternly. "That is not true! You're an honest man and your heart is in the right place. You didn't mean to hurt her, and that's what's important. You apologized, and she'll get over it, I promise."

Jack sighed, but gave her a small smile. "Thanks Mads."

"Jack?"

Jack looked over Maddie's shoulder at Vlad, who was now chopping up vegetables in the kitchen.

"Maddie's right, accidents happen. Everybody knows you mean well, and Harriet will realize that too once she has the chance to cool off a little. In the meantime, remember that we have your back."

Maddie nodded in agreement.

Jack looked at his friends gratefully. "Thanks you guys, I needed to hear that."

"Anytime."

"By the way, Vlad, do you need any help there?" Jack asked. "If you pass me a knife I can cut up the rest of the veggies!"

Vlad paled and shook his head vigorously as an image of Jack tripping again, this time with a knife in his hand, suddenly flashed through his mind. "No no, that's fine, I'm good here!"

"Well, what about I set the table, then?"

Maddie stood up rather quickly. "You know what, how about I take care of that?"

"Guys, come on, I can handle some plates and glasses!" Jack exclaimed.

"Harriet might beg to differ," Vlad muttered.

"Hey!"

* * *

 **A/N:** There we have it! There was definitely a lighter tone to this chapter compared to the last few, but I think Vlad deserves a bit of a break, don't you? Especially with what's coming right around the corner...

I will definitely be posting the next chapter within the next two weeks now that the winter school term is done and I have some more time on my hands. The next chapter will be called "The Portal".

Afterwards, however, I will be going abroad for a month. There is a chance that I may be able to post a chapter during that time, but it's unlikely. Once I come back, though, I'll release two back-to-back updates, which will bring us to the end of the first arc of the story!

I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Feel free to leave a review with your thoughts, as usual! See you in two weeks!


	10. The Portal

**A/N:** *Cough*... Er... Sorry about this being one week late. I finished this chapter a few weeks ago, but my motivation in general has been kind of dead since exams ended, so it took me a while to get around to editing this chapter. My mind burnt out a little. Thankfully I'm leaving for my vacation soon, where I'll have plenty of time to recuperate!

Thanks again to all of my lovely readers and those who have left me reviews!

Alrightie, I hope you all enjoy chapter ten!

* * *

 **Chapter 10: The Portal**

"Welcome back, everybody!" Professor Stein greeted the class as the last few students piled into the small lecture theatre and took their seats. "I hope everybody had a great summer, and that you're all ready to get back to work!"

It was the next day, the start of the fall semester of Vlad, Maddie and Jack's fourth year of college, and the trio in question sat in the front row of the lecture hall.

"I had the pleasure of working with a few of you over the summer—" Maddie smiled at the professor as he nodded his head at her and a few others in the room, "— and I am looking forward to the work that you will all produce this year! As you all know, this particular fourth year paranormal studies course has a major focus on paranormal lab techniques and research methods. This will help everybody be more prepared for next semester's course, where those taking the course will work in groups to design and carry out an experimental research project on any desired paranormal topic.

"Keep in mind that although you are free — and even encouraged — to use the knowledge gathered from past studies to help design your experiment, the goal of the fourth year paranormal research project is to contribute new knowledge to the field. Be creative!

"And everybody, don't be afraid to try to push the envelope. I won't fail you just because your thesis proves incorrect or your experiment doesn't work. That's what science is all about — making mistakes and applying what you learn from these mistakes to improve your future studies. As long as everybody shows considerable effort, I can assure you that you will all do just fine in both of my fourth year classes.

"Now, onto the course syllabus…"

An hour later, Vlad, Jack and Maddie walked out of the lecture hall together and headed towards the nearest food court for lunch.

"So, what do you guys think we should do for our fourth year project?" Jack asked as they walked.

"I know that Maddie had her doubts when we were talking at the restaurant yesterday," Vlad started. "But I still think that it would be worth pursuing the research on the ghost zone."

Maddie sighed. "Vlad, trust me, I'd love to, but I'm just not sure… As interesting as it would be, I just don't know if we'll have enough _time_ to complete a research project on that topic in just four months."

"We could always start early," Vlad argued. "The paranormal studies lab is open to fourth year students. Why not start background research and testing this semester? I'm sure Professor Stein wouldn't object to that. Think about it— if that's not showing considerable effort and dedication to this project, I don't know what is."

"Vladdie has a point," Jack said.

"Alright, fine, let's say we go with that topic," Maddie relented. "But what's our focus going to be? We need a concrete experiment, something that will give irrefutable support to the ghost zone theory. Your numbers were solid, Vlad, but not everybody appreciates a mathematical model. Harriet had a point — if we want people to take this topic seriously, we need concrete evidence. We need some sort of… _visible_ proof. Something that not even the harshest of critics can refute."

The trio walked in silence, thinking hard. Then:

"What about a ghost portal?"

Vlad and Maddie stopped in their tracks and looked at Jack.

"A… portal?" Vlad repeated skeptically.

"Well, Maddie did say that we need 'visible' proof, right? Wouldn't building a physical portal be as visible proof as you could get?" Jack asked.

"Well, if you take what Maddie said literally, then yes, but—"

"No, Vlad, I think that Jack might be on to something," Maddie interrupted. Jack beamed at the praise as Maddie continued, "A ghost portal… if we could successfully build that, well, that _would_ be the perfect proof. Nobody could deny the existence of something that they could see with their own eyes."

Vlad frowned slightly. "I don't deny that. But the _odds_ of us being even remotely successful are… well… incredible low. Not to mention, how would we even start? Where would we get the proper supplies for that? Building a portal would likely be a very expensive endeavour, and if you two remember, I'm hardly swimming in money anymore. And anyways, even if we start a project of this magnitude this semester, there is no way that we'll be able to finish it by the end of our fourth year."

"But Vlad," Jack argued. "The prof was saying how the point of this project is to 'contribute new knowledge to the field'. Even if we don't finish the project by April, I'm sure we'll be able to contribute something to the field!"

"Jack's right," Maddie said, warming up to the idea more and more. "It'll be an incredible opportunity for us to make an impact and to lay down the groundwork for future experiments and studies! Maybe we won't finish our project by the end of the year, but who says our research, or the research on the topic in general, has to stop at the end of our fourth year?"

"Fine, alright," Vlad said. "But what about the money?"

"I have a feeling that once we tell Professor Stein about our idea — and you show him your theoretical model that you worked on last year, Vlad — I think that he'd be willing to provide us with some funding for our project."

Vlad helped up his hands. "Alright, you both have made your points. I'm in," he conceded. "Let's do it."

Jack whooped and Maddie smiled, her eyes lighting up in excitement.

"Can you imagine, though, if our experiment _does_ succeed and we really do make a functioning _ghost portal_?" She asked in wonder. "That would change the very way everybody sees the world. Imagine the doors that could open for us!"

"Well, if we open up a ghost portal, we're bound to find ghosts, right? Maybe the three of us could open up a ghost hunting business!" Jack joked.

Vlad snorted. "Very funny, Jack."

* * *

Over the next few weeks, the trio began to develop a concrete outline for their experiment. Jack had the greatest imagination — he was the creative input. Vlad, incredibly gifted in mathematics and experimental design, took Jack's ideas and attempted to come up with potential schematics and mechanisms for a functional portal. Maddie looked over his mathematical work and technological designs, and thanks to her experience with paranormal laboratory techniques and methods, she was able to provide input on whether or not Vlad's models could realistically be built with the materials and the lab that they had access to.

Eventually, after a month of research, the trio settled on a prototype design that they figured would be a good starting point. Vlad was skeptical that it would actually work, but he figured it was time to start gathering experimental and not just theoretical data. If it was a bust, then at least they would know what _didn't_ work.

After finalizing their first prototype design, Jack, Vlad and Maddie decided that it was time to present their proposal to Professor Stein. As Maddie had predicted, he was thrilled by the initiative that his students were taking. Once Vlad showed him the detailed model, he granted them permission to use the lab that semester in order to get a head start on the project. Although he couldn't promise them a large budget, he would do his best to provide them with any materials needed.

"Let me know if you three need any assistance, and I'll be glad to lend you a hand!" the professor said enthusiastically. "I'm looking forward to seeing the work that you three produce!"

With lab time and funding secured, the construction of the first prototype began, and after a few weeks, the trio were ready to test it out.

"Alright, this is it," Vlad said nervously, having welded the last piece of their first prototype in place.

Maddie took a deep breath and released it slowly. "This is it," she agreed.

The trio stared at what they had produced. The portal was small, the opening hardly a foot and a half in diameter. It didn't look particularly impressive from an outsider's point of view — it was grey, small and discrete. But the internal construction was complex. Although he had helped build it, Jack didn't really understand how it worked. Maddie grasped its functional mechanism fairly well, but since it was ultimately Vlad's design, he understood its function best.

And now he hoped it would work.

Jack walked over to Vlad and passed him the controller to the portal. "Here Vladdie, you do the honours."

Vlad nodded and took the controller from Jack, his heart beating quickly. He adjusted his safety goggles, and Jack and Maddie took a few steps back, giving the portal a wide berth.

"Alright… are we ready?" Vlad asked.

His two friend nodded silently. Jack crossed his fingers.

"Alright…" Vlad said nervously. He took a deep breath. "In three… two… one!"

He pushed the control switch down, and yelped as the control panel sparked and smoked as it suddenly overheated, causing him to drop it with a cry.

"Vlad, are you okay?" Maddie exclaimed as she ran over to her friend, who had bent over, clutching his throbbing hand against his stomach.

"I'll be fine," he grimaced, but winced when Maddie took his hand and examined it.

"Ooh I don't think so, Vlad, we'll need to go to the clinic to get this checked out," she said, examining the ugly, blistered burn on his right hand in concern.

"Um, guys? We have another problem."

Vlad and Maddie looked up at Jack's words, and Vlad swore when he saw what Jack was referring to.

"The portal's on fire."

* * *

Though Maddie and Jack managed to put out the fire thanks to some quick acting before any actual damage was done to the lab, the portal prototype was damaged beyond repair — they would have to start from scratch.

"Well, not completely from _scratch_ ," Jack insisted as he and Maddie sat in the campus clinic, waiting for the doctor to finish treating Vlad's burned hand. "I mean, we now know what _doesn't_ work, right?"

"Great," Vlad grumbled, wincing as the doctor wrapped his burn with sterile gauze.

"Alright, you're all done here," the doctor said, standing up as he finished with Vlad's hand. "But please, try to be more careful in the future. You may have been wearing safety goggles, but I would suggest wearing proper protective gloves next time, as well."

Maddie assured him that they'd take better safety precautions in the future, and the trio left after Vlad got some painkillers prescribed to him.

"Guys, I've been thinking," Jack started as they reached their apartment. "The doctor mentioned protective gloves, but I think it might be worth taking it a step further — we should all get protective jumpsuits!"

"Absolutely not."

"You'd think you'd be more eager to get protective gear for the lab after getting hurt today, Vlad," Jack admonished, and Vlad glared at him.

"Fine," Jack said raising his hands in defense. "But I'm getting a jumpsuit. Hmm… You know, I'm thinking orange. Orange is pretty hot. Do you think I'd look good in orange?"

"You'd look like a stupid pumpkin," Vlad said grouchily, falling into an armchair and cradling his injured hand protectively.

Jack slouched, looking crestfallen.

"Alright, I think it's time for you to take your pain medication," Maddie said, handing Vlad a glass of water that she had grabbed from the kitchen and the bottle of pills.

"And Jack? I think orange is a lovely colour." Maddie added sweetly. "And so does Vlad."

Jack beamed at her, while Vlad just rolled his eyes.

* * *

After their initial disastrous proto-portal trial, the trio were forced to go back to the drawing board. Vlad decided not to completely scrap their initial prototype design, but he and Maddie made several chemical and mechanical changes that would hopefully lead to a more successful proto-portal.

Or, well, at least one that wouldn't catch fire.

Still, as a precautionary measure, when Jack placed an order for his new orange jumpsuit, Vlad made sure to add in his own order for a pair of very thick and sturdy gloves. His right hand had healed nicely, but he wasn't eager to repeat the experience.

Their second portal prototype was completed right before the Christmas break. After they had written their last exam of the semester, they decided to come to the lab to test it out. This time, however, they were met with a little bit more success.

"Did you _see_ that?" Vlad exclaimed in excitement, pointing at the portal's opening after they had switched it on.

"I did!" Maddie gasped. They had all seen it — a bright flash and green tendrils of what had looked like some sort of _energy,_ briefly extending from the edges of the portal towards its centre before quickly dissipating.

Jack laughed, elated at their small success. _Something_ had happened, albeit very briefly, but to them it was a sign that they were in fact on the right track.

The trio gathered around the portal, and Vlad and Maddie began to check their instruments and record their findings. They left the lab a few hours later, already discussing what they could do to improve their next prototype.

"I was thinking that we should also make some adjustments to the ecto-filtrator," Maddie was saying as the three trudged through the snow drifts on the way to the bus stop.

"Me too," Vlad agreed. "It needs to be far more efficient if we want to keep that portal on for more than a brief moment. We'll have to work on that once you two come back from the holidays."

"Hold on, you're staying in Madison for the break?" Maddie asked, puzzled. She turned to Jack. "I thought he was going to spend Christmas with you?"

Jack shook his head. "No, not this year. My mom's sister-in-law invited all of us up to _Toronto_ for the Christmas break. I asked if I could bring Vlad, but my parents said that it'll be a tight squeeze with all of the family gathering there…" He trailed off, looking a bit guilty.

But Vlad shook his head and patted his friend's back. "Jack, I told you not to worry about it. I'll be fine here! I have some work to get done. Besides, if I get bored, I can always get started on that new echo-filtrator, right?"

"Ya, I guess… Well, you'll probably have a better time here, anyways. I don't really know why my parents want to spend Christmas in Toronto. What's so great about visiting a country full of igloos and polar bears?"

Vlad rolled his eyes. "Jack, don't be an idiot, Canada isn't a land full of _igloos and polar bears_. Have you ever picked up a geography book in your life?"

"Hey, I'm not an idiot! And yes I have, thank you very much!"

"Sorry, let me rephrase that: have you ever actually _opened one_?"

"Vlad, be nice," Maddie admonished. "Jack, Madison and Toronto lie at a very similar geographical latitude. Actually, you'll probably find that it's milder there than it is here."

"Huh. So how come everybody thinks that all Canadians live like eskimos up there?" Jack asked in genuine bewilderment.

"They don't think that. It's just a select few special individuals like yourself who do," Vlad smirked.

Jack stopped dead in his tracks. "Alright, now it's war!" he declared, and with a mad grin, he bent over and packed a massive snowball in his hands.

Vlad ducked as Jack's snowball sailed over his head. "Maddie! Help!" he exclaimed in mock distress. "Jack's trying to kill m— _oof!_ "

Jack laughed as his second snowball caught Vlad square in the face. "Bulls-eye!" he cheered, but his celebration was short lived as Vlad ran at his friend with a battle-cry and tackled him right into the snowbank behind them. However, their scuffle was short-lived before they heard Maddie cry out:

"Bus!"

The boys looked up at the sound of her voice, and scrambled to their feet when they saw the bus in question pulling up to the station up the road. The trio ran and caught the bus just as the driver was about to pull away. Once on the bus, the trio plopped down in some empty seats and caught their breath.

"For the record," Jack panted, "I totally won that."

Vlad snorted and shook some snow out his hair. "You wish."

"No Vladdie, I _know_."

Vlad went to retort, but Maddie didn't hear what he said as she tuned the boys out. She couldn't help but feel bad that they would be leaving Vlad behind for the Christmas holidays…

"Vlad, are you sure you'll be alright to stay in Madison alone?" Maddie asked suddenly, interrupting the boys' bickering.

Vlad turned to face her, his face showing surprise at the abrupt topic change. However, he smiled after a moment. "I promise, I'll be alright," he assured, but Maddie noticed that the smile did not quite reach his eyes.

And she knew why.

This was the first Christmas that Vlad had no place to go. The first Christmas since his blowout with his father. There was no doubt that Maddie admired how well Vlad had pulled himself together after the incident, but she also knew that Vlad had a history of pretending to be alright even when he wasn't. Perhaps he didn't want to worry his friends now. She wasn't sure. But what she did know, was that although Vlad had assured her that he had moved on from the incident, eight months wasn't enough time to entirely heal the hurt.

Maddie shook her head. She had made a promise to Vlad, and she was going to keep it.

* * *

The next day, Vlad was in his room analyzing the data from the proto-portal trial when the phone rang shrilly. He grumbled at being interrupted from his work, and knocked on the wall that separated his and Jack's bedrooms.

"Jack, can you get that?" he called out loudly.

" _Er—"_ came the muffled, slightly panicked reply from the other side of the wall. _"My parents are going to be here in twenty minutes and I'm not done packing yet—"_

Vlad sighed. "Never mind!"

Reluctantly, he got up from his desk and quickly made his way over to the living room.

"Hello?" Vlad answered as he picked up the phone.

' _Hi Vlad, it's Maddie calling.'_

"Maddie?" Vlad asked in surprise. "I thought you left for Florida this morning!"

' _I was supposed to, but I decided to switch my flight. I'm leaving tomorrow instead.'_

"How come?"

' _Well… I know this is a little last minute, but how would you like to come down to Florida and spend the Christmas holidays with my family? I've just checked, and they have some cheap, last-minute plane tickets available that you could buy.'_

"Huh?"

' _Christmas holidays. Florida. My parents' place.'_

Vlad shook his head. "No, no I understood what you said, it's just— I wasn't expecting that."

' _Well, I would've invited you earlier had I known that you were planning on staying in Wisconsin for the break!"_

"Maddie, I—" Vlad hesitated. "I really do appreciate the offer, but I don't want to intrude on your family time—"

' _Uh uh, stop right there! My family has invited you and they'll be more than happy to have you as a guest!'_

"Are you s—?"

' _If I wasn't sure I wouldn't have called! Listen, here's what's going to happen. You are going to hang up, pack your bags, and I will meet you at your apartment tomorrow morning to take a taxi to the airport. I'm not going to let one of my closest friends spend Christmas alone in Wisconsin!'_

Vlad felt a smile tug at the corner of his mouth. "I suppose I don't have a choice, do I?" he asked jokingly.

' _No you don't.'_

"Alright, in that case, I will see you tomorrow. Oh, and Maddie?" Vlad added, before he hung up the phone.

' _Yes?'_

"Thank you."

* * *

Though Vlad had been to Florida on a few occasions with his father on business, he had never been during the winter holidays. It was strange, seeing palm trees and green grass instead of bare trees and snow during the Christmas break, but he acknowledged that it was a nice change.

He and Maddie sat in the taxi that was taking them to her parents' home. It was around an hour's drive from Palm Beach International Airport to sunny Port St. Lucie where Maddie's parents had moved after their early retirement, but the drive passed quickly as the two friends chatted away.

However, as the taxi pulled up to the house and the two stepped out and grabbed their luggage, Vlad found that he was suddenly nervous.

"Are you alright, Vlad?" Maddie asked in concern, noticing that her friend stood frozen in the driveway, looking up at the house uncertainly.

"I— yes, I'm good," he replied after a moment. He shook himself out of his thoughts. "Let's meet your family!"

The two rolled their suitcases up to the front door. As Maddie rang the doorbell, she looked over at her friend and noticed the serious expression on his face. "What's with the frown? Smile, Vlad, and don't worry — they're going to love you!" she exclaimed, smiling assuringly.

But before Vlad could say anything in response, the door swung open.

"Sweetheart!"

A woman with short auburn hair flew out the door and embraced her daughter fiercely. Maddie laughed as she returned her mother's hug. Mrs. Foster then pulled back and held her daughter out at shoulder's length, gazing fondly at her. "Oh darling, I've missed you so much!"

Maddie smiled and hugged her mom again. "I've missed you too! I can't believe it's been four months since I've been home."

"Only four months? I feel like you've been gone so much longer. I know it's been more than three years since you left for Wisconsin, but sometimes I still wish that you hadn't gone to school so far away from home…" Her mother caressed her daughter's cheek affectionately. "But enough of that, I'm just glad to have my beautiful daughter back home for the holidays!"

Maddie's mother now stepped back and turned her attention to the other person standing on her front porch. "And you must be Vlad Masters!" she exclaimed, smiling brightly. "Maddie has told us so much about you."

Vlad immediately noticed how similar Maddie was to her mother. The same colour hair, the same build, the same height, and the same kind smile. The only real difference, asides from her age, was her eyes; while Maddie's were an unusual shade of violet, her mother's were a warm shade of green.

Vlad flashed her a charming smile and joked, "Hopefully only good things!" He held out his hand. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Foster."

"Oh dear, please call me Elizabeth," she said, shaking her head. "Mrs. Foster makes me sound so _old._ "

Vlad chuckled. "I'll keep that in mind," he said as he shook her hand.

"So where's dad?" Maddie asked curiously, peaking through the front door into the house.

"He's probably still out back, tending to the barbecue. I hope you two are hungry! I may have gone a little bit overboard with the cooking… Well, anyways, there's no point in just standing around out here — come on in!" she said, ushering them inside.

Vlad took a look around as he entered the house. It had an airy, open layout, with modern furniture that complimented the honey-coloured wooden floors and the fresh, white walls. Family pictures of all sizes were arranged along the fireplace mantel and on various tables placed around the house, and colourful paintings brightened up the walls. The house had an air of comfort and coziness, and Vlad immediately started to feel more at ease.

Elizabeth led the two of them into the kitchen. "Hold on one second, I'll go get my husband," she said. She walked over to the back patio door and slid it open. "Jonathan darling, come out from behind that grill for a moment and say hello to your daughter and her friend!"

" _I'll be right there, honey! I'm just taking the food off the grill."_

Elizabeth smiled and gestured at the dining room table beside the kitchen, which Vlad noticed was already set with plates of food. "In that case, have a seat you two, dinner will be ready in a minute."

"I'm going to get a drink first," Maddie said, going over to the fridge. "Vlad, do you want anything?"

"Some water would be good," Vlad replied, smiling as he took a seat at the dining room table. Just then, the backyard patio door slid open and in came a tall man with short, dark brown hair, carrying a large tray of barbecued steaks.

"Dad!" Maddie exclaimed. She set down the two glasses of water that she had poured and ran up to the her dad to hug him.

Her father laughed and hugged her back with the arm that wasn't holding the tray. "And how's my little princess doing?" he asked once Maddie stepped back.

"Dad, I'm twenty-one years old now, don't you think it's time to put that name to rest?"

Mr. Foster shook his head. "Sorry, little princess, but I don't think so," he teased, ruffling her hair before he made his way into the kitchen with the tray of steaks.

Maddie pretended to huff in annoyance as she fixed her hair, but she was smiling at her dad.

"Those smell amazing!" Elizabeth exclaimed as her husband placed the barbecued meat on the counter. She gave him quick peck on the cheek. "Thank you darling."

"Well, it's a special day, with my daughter coming home for the holidays and all. Not to mention, I'm sure you've missed my incredible barbecuing very much," Mr. Foster winked at his daughter.

Maddie laughed. "Don't let it go to your head, dad," she teased. "It's not so much _your_ barbecues that I've missed as barbecues in general — it's hard to have an outdoor grill night when it's snowing in Wisconsin."

"Ah, you wound me daughter," Mr. Foster clutched his chest with one hand, feigning hurt. "Speaking of Wisconsin, I thought you were bringing a friend home with you?"

That's when Vlad, who had been sitting quietly in the dining room during the father-daughter reunion, stood up and lifted a hand in greeting. "Hello Mr. Foster, I'm Vlad Masters."

Mr. Foster jumped, then laughed. "You sure startled me, I didn't see you there!" he chuckled, and made his way over to shake Vlad's hand. "It's great to meet you!"

"It's a pleasure to meet you, too, sir," Vlad replied formally.

Mr. Foster looked taken aback for a moment, before grinning at his daughter. "Sir? I wish half of my employees treated me with the same respect that your friend does, Maddie!" he laughed.

Elizabeth smacked her husband lightly on the arm as she passed by, carrying a bowl of salad destined for the dining room table. "That's because you used to take your employees out to dinner or to the bar every Friday night," she teased. "You were more their friend than their boss. It's a wonder you ever got any work done at your firm!"

"You have you own company, Mr. Foster?" Vlad asked curiously, as the four of them sat down at the dining room table for dinner.

"Please, call me Jonathan!" Maddie's father insisted. "And yes, I have my own company. Well, _had_ , seeing as I retired last year."

"What kind of business?" Vlad asked as Elizabeth began to pass the dishes of food around.

"It wasn't anything big. I started up a small structural engineering consulting firm here in Florida some twenty-five years ago. That's why we moved here from Arkansas when Maddie was a little girl," Jonathan explained.

"That's right, Maddie mentioned being born in Arkansas. That must have been a big move for you and your family," Vlad said sympathetically.

"It was definitely a change for everybody," Jonathan agreed. "It was probably most difficult for Alicia — Maddie's older sister — though."

"Speaking of Alicia," Maddie interjected. "I thought she was coming home for the holidays. Where is she?"

"She wasn't able to get much time off of work," Elizabeth sighed. "She'll only be able to get here on Christmas Eve."

Vlad turned to Maddie. "Your sister doesn't live here in Florida?" he asked in surprise.

But it was Jonathan who answered his question. "No, as soon as Alicia finished college, she decided to move back to Arkansas. I'm afraid my older daughter never took to Florida as well as Maddie did," he explained.

"To be fair, we left just as she turned twelve, so she was old enough to have already made a few good friends that she had to leave behind when we moved," Elizabeth pointed out. "She adjusted well here, but I think her heart was always back in Arkansas."

"She's definitely always been more of a country girl than a city girl," Jonathan chuckled in agreement. "I shouldn't have been so surprised when she told us that she was moving back just weeks after she graduated."

"And you were both alright with that?" Vlad asked, hesitantly.

Jonathan looked over at his wife, who shrugged and smiled sadly. "Well, of course we didn't want her to move so far away from home — we'd miss her so much!" she said. "But who were we to hold her back? Her heart and dreams were in Arkansas, not in Florida."

"It was the same thing with Maddie, here," Jonathan added. "When she decided that she was going off to Wisconsin for her studies, I was sad to have my other daughter move to the other side of the country! But her heart was set on the paranormal studies program, and if that was her dream, then of course I was going to support her. That's a parent's job, right?"

Maddie noticed Vlad stiffen beside her. "Yes, I suppose it is," Vlad said quietly, after a moment.

If Jonathan and Elizabeth noticed the note of bitterness in his voice, they tactfully did not pursue the topic. Instead, Jonathan asked, "So Vlad, Maddie tells me that you've been doing very well in your own studies. What is it that you're taking?"

"I'm doing a double major in genetics and biochemistry," Vlad replied, grateful for the topic change. "I also just finished a business minor — I finished the last required course for that degree this semester."

Jonathan whistled slowly. "Two science majors and a business minor? That's incredibly ambitious. You must be brilliant to be pursuing all of those subjects!"

"Er, I wouldn't say that. I just… work hard," Vlad answered a bit awkwardly.

Maddie snorted. "If I knew that all it took for you to be modest was to meet my parents, I would've brought you here a long time," she teased slyly. She turned to her parents and added, "Vlad's a genius."

Vlad flushed. "I wouldn't go that far—"

"Well, it's true," Maddie said firmly. "The ghost portal would still just be a _dream_ in my mind if it wasn't for all of your work and research. You've really brought that thing to life!"

Vlad shook his head. "You don't give yourself enough credit, Maddie — you've had just as much input on this ghost portal as I have. The ecto-filtrator design was all yours, and it was only after we added it to our design that we actually managed to turn the portal on!"

Jonathan held out both hands. "Woah, woah, woah, hold on a moment!" he exclaimed and looked at his daughter excitedly. "I know you've been building a proto-portal this semester, but you never mentioned that you managed to actually turn it _on_!"

"It just happened two days ago, I haven't really had the chance, yet!" Maddie giggled at her dad's enthusiastic reaction. "But yes, we managed to turn it on. Very briefly, but it's a start!"

"That's my girl!" Jonathan said, looking proudly at his daughter. "And of course congratulations to you and the other boy — Jack's his name, right?" he added to Vlad.

"Yes, and thank you!" Vlad replied. "We're excited to continue testing the proto-portal next semester. Hopefully we can get it to actually stay on for a longer period of time, but with Maddie and I working on the ecto-filtrator, I think we'll get it to work. The designs your daughter made are impeccable."

"Impeccable?" Maddie asked, shaking her head. "Vlad, don't forget that we think the reason that the portal didn't actually stay open was because the ecto-filtrator I designed was _flawed_."

"It wasn't _flawed_ ," Vlad argued. "It just needs a few tweaks to make it more efficient! Things rarely ever work on their first try — the fact that yours did at all proves that you're brilliant!"

Elizabeth shared a look with her husband before she smiled coyly at her daughter. "Well, it sounds like you two make quite the team! Vlad, tell me dear, are you dating anybody right now?"

Vlad choked on a piece of roasted potato in response.

"Mom!" Maddie exclaimed in embarrassment, her face a bright pink. She thumped Vlad hard on the back as he coughed violently.

After a moment, Vlad managed to dislodge the potato and cough it out into his napkin. Eyes watering and face a brilliant shade of red, he pushed his chair back and stood up. "Excuse me," he managed to wheeze out between coughs. "Bathroom!"

Maddie pushed back her chair, too. "Just going to make sure he's okay!" she told her parents and quickly followed her friend out of the dining room.

Jonathan looked as his wife once his daughter and her friend left the room. "Really subtle, darling," he snorted.

She smacked her husband lightly on the arm. "Oh shush, you."

Meanwhile, Vlad was in the bathroom, trying to draw in some air now that his coughing fit had finally subsided. A moment later Maddie appeared, holding a glass of water.

"Here," she said, passing the glass to Vlad. He took it gratefully and chugged the water down in an attempt to soothe his burning throat.

Maddie cleared her throat awkwardly. "Look, Vlad, I'm really sorry about that. You know how moms are - super embarrassing. I guess I do talk about you a lot, but I mean we're lab partners, and I spend all of my time with you and Jack, so I suppose you just end up being in all of my stories, and she just made the assumption, and — wow I'm sorry, now I'm rambling," she laughed in embarrassment, though she didn't quite look Vlad in the eye. "I mean, we're just friends, right?"

"Yes," Vlad nodded fervently, but his face was still a bright red. "Friends. We're just two good friends."

"Exactly. Good friends."

"Right."

* * *

 **A/N:** Haha, I love Maddie's parents. When I started writing that last scene, I had to first ask myself, "What kind of people do I want her parents to be?" My immediate answer was "the complete opposite of Vlad's parents", and so Elizabeth and Jonathan were created. The end of this chapter, as well as the next chapter, were never in my original story outline. However, there's still one conflict that I really want to emphasize before I get into the finale of this story's first arc, and Vlad spending time with Maddie's family will play an important role in resurfacing that conflict.

This chapter also brings us the origins of the ghost portal, and more importantly, Jack's orange jumpsuit. Haha alright, I'm just joking, the former is obviously more important than the latter, but I couldn't resist adding in the part about Jack's jumpsuit.

Anyways, only two more chapters before we get into part two of A Ghost Story! I can't promise when the next update will be. I'm leaving on my trip next week and chapter eleven is not done yet. However, I should have time during the second half of my trip to write, so expect two back-to-back updates in just over a month from now.

In the meantime, please leave a review and let me know what you thought of this chapter and of the story so far!

See you all later~~


	11. Being Human

**A/N:**... So I know I promised an update... a while ago. I am so sorry! I honestly expected to have so much time to write after I came back from my holiday a few months back, but this summer has so far turned out to be very busy for me.

So, in order to make up for my three month absence, Chapter Eleven is the longest one so far! You'll be happy to hear that Chapter Twelve is also done (and even longer than Chapter Eleven), so it will be posted very shortly.

I hope you all enjoy this chapter!

* * *

 **Chapter 11: Being Human**

Darkness engulfed him as a tall wave crashed overhead. Its strength pushed him under and the powerful water currents tossed him around until he was unable to tell which direction was up and which one was down.

His lungs strained for air, and he briefly panicked until he felt a familiar, sharp tug at his ankle pulling him back diagonally through the water. Knowing now in which direction the surface lay, Vlad turned around in the water and swam rapidly until his head broke the surface.

Gasping, he sucked in greedy mouthfuls of precious air. Once his racing heart had calmed slightly and he had gotten his breathing under control, he looked around at the choppy, blue waves all around him.

 _Fantastic, this is how I die,_ Vlad thought miserably to himself.

"Oh, don't be so dramatic Vlad! I wouldn't have taken you out today if I didn't think you could handle these waves."

Vlad flushed, realizing that he had said that out loud (he really had to stop doing that). He looked over to where he had heard the voice and saw Maddie sitting on her surfboard a few metres away, bobbing up and down in the water.

"I think you may have overestimated my abilities," Vlad grumbled as he clambered back onto his own board.

"You're fine," Maddie reassured. "These waves are relatively small — perfect for beginners like you!"

"Alright, but if I drown here today, I am warning you — I will come back as a ghost to haunt you," Vlad said, feigning seriousness.

Maddie laughed. "I'll take my chances. Come on now, let's catch some waves! We only have a few hours before we have to go back." She lay down on her board and began to paddle away, and Vlad made haste to do the same.

Today was Christmas Eve. Vlad and Maddie had woken up that morning to Maddie's mother cooking up a storm, but when the two came into the kitchen to offer their help, Elizabeth had promptly kicked them out, telling them to go outside and enjoy the beautiful day. Maddie and Vlad debated on what to do until Jonathan, having overheard their conversation, asked if Vlad had ever had the chance to learn to surf. When it was established that no, Vlad had definitely not, it was decided that he and Maddie would drive up to the nearby Jensen Beach for the afternoon.

As it turned out, Maddie and her father used to occasionally head to the beach to surf back when Maddie still lived with her parents. It was a recreational hobby that the father-daughter duo had taken up together soon after moving to Florida. They were hardly surfer professionals, but Maddie knew enough to give Vlad a brief but adequate lesson on the basics of how to ride a wave before they headed out into the water — Maddie on her own board, and Vlad on one that he had borrowed from Maddie's father.

And that's how Vlad found himself in the cool, Atlantic Ocean on a beautiful, sunny December day, paddling farther and farther out from shore as he followed Maddie's lead.

After a few more minutes, Maddie stopped paddling and sat up on her board, evidently having deemed that they had come out far enough. A moment later, Vlad caught up to her, panting slightly from the effort of swimming out so far. Maddie noticed this.

"Not as easy as swimming a few laps in a calm pool, is it?" she teased lightly.

Vlad chuckled as he sat up on his board. "I'll admit, it's certainly a bit of a workout."

The two bobbed up and down in the waves as they took a moment to catch their breath before Maddie turned to Vlad. "Do you remember the lesson I gave you on the beach before we got in the water?"

Vlad nodded. "Paddle hard towards the shore as the wave approaches. Then, when it's time to stand, grab the sides of the board, push your body up with your arms, place your back foot, place your front foot, and finally, stand up. Or, at least, attempt to."

'That's the gist of it! Today's goal for you is just to stand up and ride the wave straight in towards the shore, so that's all you really need to know for now," Maddie said.

"That sounds fine to me."

"Also, don't forget to bend your knees once you stand up," Maddie suggested. "Holding your arms out and looking straight ahead in the direction that you're going will also help you to keep your balance."

"Alright, I'll keep that in mind. I have one question, though."

"What is it?"

"How do I know when to stand up?" Vlad asked.

Maddie opened her mouth to tell him, but then she hesitated. "You know what?" she said after thinking it over for a moment. "Let's make this a bit easier. You just focus on paddling and standing up for now — I'll shout at you when it's the right moment to stand."

"Whatever you think will work best, oh wise teacher," Vlad smirked playfully.

Maddie whacked him on the arm. "Alright, that's enough out of you and your smart mouth," she scolded, but Vlad caught her small smile. "Now, turn your board around and point it towards the shore, then lie down."

Vlad did as he was instructed. "Alright, what now?"

"Now we wait for the perfect wave."

A few minutes passed in silence as Maddie observed the water behind them. Vlad wasn't sure what signs she was looking for or how she could tell whether or not a good wave was coming, but he trusted her judgment and experience.

Suddenly, Maddie perked up. "Get ready Vlad, here comes a good one! Look forward and start paddling… _now_!" she urged.

Vlad paddled forward as hard and as fast as he could, scooping his arms deep into the water and pushing back hard with the palms of his hands. Though he could not see the wave behind him, he heard it as it raced towards him, its roar filling his ears until that was all that he could hear.

And then suddenly, he felt himself rise up as the rushing water caught up to him. He panicked briefly when he felt the strength of the wave building up under his board, and his mind blanked until he heard a faint voice call urgently over the thunderous noise of the racing water.

" _Stand up, Vlad! Stand up, now!"_

In an instant it all came back to him — he remembered what he was supposed to do. He gave one final, hard paddle before grabbing the sides of his board firmly with his hands. He popped his chest up off the board, and then placed his right foot steadily at the back of the board before swinging his left foot up near his hands. He wobbled slightly, fighting for balance, but then he shifted his foot, found his centre, pushed up hard with his hands, straightened his knees…

And he was up.

 _He was doing it._

Vlad stood balanced on the board in disbelief as the wave drove him towards the shore. He wobbled again slightly as the wave shifted underneath him, but Maddie's advice reverberated through his mind and he remembered to hold out his arms and bend his knees.

As he regained his balance, an incredulous laugh burst out of his chest. Adrenaline coursed through his veins, and the raw power of the tumultuous wave that thundered beneath his feet amazed him. It made him feel so utterly _alive_.

That's when Vlad made the mistake of looking back to see if Maddie was watching. Before he could even catch sight of her, the wave shifted beneath him, Vlad's board wobbled, and his grin quickly turned into an expression of panic. He yelled out as he was thrown off his board, and he hit the water hard before the wave crashed over him.

His head broke the surface a moment later, and he spat out a mouthful of salty water just as Maddie came riding in on the wave behind him. However, unlike Vlad, she didn't wipe out miserably — instead, as she reached him, Maddie gracefully hopped off her board into the water.

Maddie's violet eyes were sparkling with excitement as her head broke the surface. "Vlad, that was amazing!" she exclaimed in congratulations.

But Vlad shook his head, huffing. "I had it at first, but then I completely lost my head and crashed."

Maddie shook her head in slight exasperation. "Stop being so hard on yourself! The point is that you managed to stand up and ride a wave halfway to shore _on your first try_. It took me half a _day_ before I was even able to keep my balance for more than a few seconds."

"To be fair, you were a lot younger when you first learned how to surf," Vlad pointed out.

"I have no idea where this false modesty of yours is suddenly coming from, because it certainly didn't exist before you came here to Florida with me," Maddie wondered out loud, rolling her eyes.

"Har-har."

"Seriously, though, Vlad, admit it — that felt amazing, didn't it?"

Vlad feigned deliberation for a moment. "Hmm, I don't know…"

Maddie splashed him with the ocean water in response, and Vlad burst out laughing. "Alright, I'm just pulling your leg," he said slyly. "That felt utterly incredible."

Maddie smiled back broadly. "In that case, what are we waiting for? Let's go catch some more waves!"

And catch some waves they did. Some they crashed, some they caught and rode all the way to the shore, and the whole time the salty air rang with the sounds of their laughter.

* * *

It was only after many hours had passed and their arms had grown numb from the effort of paddling through the strong waves that Maddie and Vlad decided to call it a day and return home.

"We'll leave the boards in the car," Maddie was saying as she pulled into the driveway of her parents' house.

"You won't find me arguing against that. I can't remember the last time my arms were this sore. I'm not sure that I could even _lift_ the board out of the car at this point," Vlad joked, though his slight wince when he lifted his arm to open the car door showed that his joke held some truth.

"Just wait until tomorrow — that's when you'll really feel it," Maddie laughed as Vlad pulled a face of mock distress in response to her words.

The two stumbled out of the car (it clearly wasn't just Vlad who was stiff and sore from their afternoon surf) and made their way to the front door, where Maddie rang the doorbell.

"I didn't take the house keys when we left," Maddie explained at Vlad's questioning look. "I figured that someone would be home to open the door once we got back."

But judging by Maddie's gasp that came as the front door opened, she hadn't been expecting this specific 'someone'.

"Alicia!" Maddie exclaimed as she pulled her sister into a hug. "I thought you weren't getting in until later tonight!"

As Maddie and Alicia pulled apart, Vlad got the chance to get a good look at Maddie's older sister. Though she and her sister shared the same hair colour and last name, that was about all that they had in common. Compared to Maddie's slim frame, Alicia was built more strongly and sturdily. Her eyes were an unusual shade of blue-green, and she had her father's square-set jaw and long nose. In all honestly, if he hadn't heard Maddie call her by name, Vlad would never have taken this person to be Maddie's sister.

"It turned out that I was able to get the mornin' off, so I was able to leave earlier than I had planned," Alicia was explaining to her sister as Vlad shook himself out of his thoughts.

Maddie smiled. "That's wonderful! It's been so long since you've visited. When were you here last? Early last spring?"

"You'd just finished writing your exams," Alicia nodded in confirmation.

"It's too bad you can't visit more often," Maddie sighed. "Are you not able to get more vacation time from work?"

Alicia smiled ruefully. "Sorry Maddie, but with the wedding coming up next summer, I need to work as many hours as I can so that we can afford to pay for everything. Holiday pay's extra, too, so if they offer me one of those shifts, I ain't about to say no."

"Wedding?" Vlad interrupted, surprised. "Maddie never mentioned that you were engaged. I suppose that my congratulations are in order!"

Alicia stopped and turned around to face Vlad. At her blank stare, Vlad realized that she probably had no idea who he was.

"I'm sorry, I forgot to introduce myself," Vlad shook his head, mentally chiding himself for his lapse in judgment. He held out his right hand. "I'm a friend of Maddie's from the univ—"

"You're Vlad Masters."

Vlad flinched, surprised at the interruption. "Er yes, I am," he replied, feeling uncharacteristically wrong-footed. "I venture that Maddie has told you about me before?"

"She has." Alicia's stare was hard, her face a blank mask.

"Well, in that case, it's a pleasure to finally meet you," Vlad said, though his tone now betrayed a note of uncertainty.

Alicia blinked in response, then turned back to her sister. "I'm going inside to help our mum set the table. Go ahead and get changed out of your beach clothes, and then come and join us. Dinner'll be ready in fifteen." And with that she left, completely ignoring Vlad and his still-outstretched arm.

Once Alicia had disappeared into the house, Vlad let his right hand fall awkwardly to his side. He turned to Maddie, a puzzled expression on his face that became an expression of deeply set confusion when he saw that Maddie was trying to stifle a giggle. "I'm sorry, what did I — did I say something wrong?"

Maddie shook her head in amusement. "No, that's just Alicia for you."

"I don't understand. Why does she dislike me so much?"

"What?" Maddie asked in surprise. "Don't be silly! Trust me, if she didn't like you, she would have let you know."

"Well, if that's how she expresses friendliness, I'd hate to see how she expresses distaste," Vlad muttered as he and Maddie entered the house. "Be honest with me, though — did I do something to merit her mistrust?"

"No, it's really nothing like that. Alicia… she just likes to play the intimidating older sister," she chuckled. "Don't worry about her, just be yourself and everything will be fine."

"Uh huh…" Vlad said slowly, making a mental note not to sit beside Maddie's older sister at dinner.

* * *

Christmas Eve dinner was a cheerful affair at the Foster household. Now that Alicia was home, the whole family was finally together again. When it was time for the main course and Elizabeth came in with the roast duck, everyone paused to take in the delicious smell that wafted from the piping-hot dish. Elizabeth placed it in the centre of the table and Jonathan took to carving it.

To Vlad's surprise, he received the first plate.

"My wife was going on all day about how delicious this bird was going to be," Jonathan said as he passed the plate to Vlad. "I think it's only fair for our guest to be the judge of that."

Vlad chuckled. "After eating dinner here for the last week, I have a feeling that it will be just as delicious as she says." Nevertheless, he picked up his fork and knife, cut himself a piece of the steaming roast, and took a bite. A burst of flavours exploded in his mouth and he took his time chewing, savouring the taste.

"Well?" Elizabeth asked as Vlad finally swallowed. "What's the verdict?"

Vlad flashed her a charming smile. "Elizabeth, you could open up your own restaurant."

Elizabeth's eyes crinkled in delight. "Oh, you're too sweet!" She then looked to her husband. "What did I tell you?" she said smugly. "My duck is delicious."

Jonathan laughed and began to serve the rest of the roast around the table. "Alright, now that we know that the bird hasn't been poisoned—" Elizabeth smacked her husband lightly on the arm as he gave her a teasing grin, "—everybody, dig in!"

As they ate, Jonathan turned to Vlad. "I suppose between surfing at the beach and eating dinner here in warm, sunny Florida with our family, this has been a very unusual Christmas Eve for you, hasn't it?"

"Unusual, certainly," Vlad agreed, "But in the best way. Christmas Eve was typically a quiet affair back in Maryland. It was only on Christmas Day that the celebrations took place at the annual Christmas benefit that my fath–" Vlad froze suddenly as the word died in his mouth. His heart thudded hard.

 _Not again._

"That your father…?" Jonathan prompted after a moment, a look of mixed concern and confusion on his face at Vlad's sudden silence.

Vlad cleared his throat and shook his head. "Yes, sorry, that… _we_ hosted at the Maryland estate."

"A Christmas benefit? As in a ball? That sounds amazing — you must have had a wonderful Christmas every year!" Elizabeth exclaimed.

Against his will, images of the past flash through Vlad's mind. He remembered his excitement as a little boy when his eyes fell upon the grandeur of the ballroom the first time that he had been allowed to attend his father's benefit. Christmas trees bedecked in gold, silver, blue and royal purple were placed all around the hall. Delicate, fine china lay on tables covered in silky linens white as snow. The instruments of the orchestra gleamed under the twinkling lights coming from the dazzling chandeliers hanging overhead, and the music they played was soft and rich and warm.

He remembered women dressed in their most splendid gowns and men in their smartest tuxedos. He remembered watching his mother - the most beautifully dressed of all the ladies - dancing with his father, seeing her smile radiantly as her husband whispered sweet words into her ear as the two of them glided together across the floor.

He remembered his father proudly presenting Vlad to every family member, friend, and business associate who had attended that night. And when the night grew late and young Vlad could hardly keep his eyes open, he remembered his mother bending down to kiss and hug her little boy goodnight, and his father clasping his shoulder and saying how proud he was of his "little man" that night.

Against his will, he remembered one of the few nights in his childhood that his family had been together and happy.

Vlad swallowed hard. "It was nice," he said, not trusting himself to say more.

Then, to his relief, Maddie diverted her father's attention to another topic. "Speaking of surfing, dad, you should have seen the waves today — they were perfect!"

As Maddie and her father talked about that day's trip to the beach, Vlad felt Maddie put her hand on his knee under the table and give it a comforting squeeze before pulling her hand away again.

From there, the conversation at the dinner table moved on to other topics. While Vlad joined in here and there, he found himself distracted. Since the fallout with his father last winter, Vlad had tried his hardest to stop his thoughts from ever straying back to his family. During the summer, he had had Maddie and his work in Professor Larson's genetics lab to keep him busy, and once the school year had started up again, he had had more than enough work to keep him distracted.

But now, he had none of those things keeping his mind busy, and seeing Maddie's family, so kind and happy, had been the key to opening up the floodgate of memories.

Of course, he didn't blame the Foster family for that. How could he? How could he be angry or resentful towards a family that was so welcoming and caring? Besides, it's not like they had any knowledge of Vlad's history with his family. Those were skeletons in the closet that Vlad had decided not to share with Maddie's parents, and Maddie had also agreed not to share that particular bit of information about Vlad's past. When Maddie had called home asking if she could invite Vlad over for the holidays, she had simply told her parents that Vlad's mother and father had gone abroad for work and wouldn't be back in time for Christmas.

In all honesty, there was no point in telling Maddie's parents the truth — it wouldn't fix anything, and Vlad certainly did not want to see the pity that he knew he would see in their eyes if he told them.

No, any anger that Vlad felt was towards his father, and he cursed himself for it. He cursed himself for letting the words and actions of one man plague his thoughts and blacken his mood, so many months after the… incident.

He had tried to suppress these feelings. He didn't want this burning anger tainting the wonderful time he was having here in Florida, but over the course of the last week, the smallest familial gestures between Maddie and her family seemed to spark a memory in Vlad's mind and bring forth that awful, burning feeling in his chest.

When he saw Jonathan fondly ruffle Maddie's hair and call her "little princess" — as was his pet name for his daughter —, Vlad couldn't help but feel a rush of resentment towards his own father's refusal to show Vlad any sort of fatherly affection past the age of six.

When the Foster family had looked through their albums of old family photos together, Vlad couldn't help but remember the hurt that he had felt when his parents hadn't been with him during those important moments of his life: countless birthdays; his first piano recital as a boy; the time in boarding school when he had placed first at the inter-school fencing championship; the award ceremony when he had proudly placed top of his class for the first time; his high school graduation… Vlad had the photos from all of these events, but his parents' faces were painfully absent from all of them.

And when Maddie's family would sit down together and eat, laugh and exchange stories every night at the dinner table, Vlad couldn't help but remember with a stab of loneliness all the dinners that he had eaten alone in the cold dining room in the Maryland estate. Even when his family did perchance happen to eat together, Vlad might as well have been alone, as the painful silence was only occasionally punctuated by stiff and stilted conversation.

Resentment, hurt, loneliness… Vlad hated these feelings, he hated having them stain his happiness, and most of all, he hated the man that was the root and cause of these feelings.

And yet, underneath all of that hatred…. he felt something else, something that he had been trying his hardest to bury, something he loathed to admit to himself.

Because in truth, beneath all of his anger, he really just m—

 _No_ , Vlad thought in frustration. _No I don't. It's not right. I don't._

…

 _I can't._

"Vlad?"

Vlad jerked his head up at the sound of his name to see Maddie looking over at him questioningly, and he realized that he had been staring down at his nearly empty plate, clutching his fork and knife so hard that his knuckles had turned white. He forced himself to ease up on his grip and he plastered on a pleasant smile that he hoped would be convincing before he replied.

"Yes? Sorry, I spaced out for a moment. All of this good food must have gone straight to my head," he joked lightly.

Maddie frowned slightly, and Vlad knew at once that she hadn't bought his act for a second, but she evidently decided to let it slide for the moment as she instead simply repeated the question that she had asked him: "We're trying to decide what to play tonight, and mom suggested Scrabble. Are you alright with that?"

Since Vlad and Maddie had arrived at the house a week ago, the Foster family plus Vlad had held a board game night every evening, as was apparently tradition at the Foster household during the Christmas holidays. They played a large variety of games ranging from Parcheesi, to backgammon, to poker and other card games, to Monopoly, and to chess (which they had hastily decided not to continue playing after Vlad had — albeit apologetically — trounced Jonathan in their first game after a mere three minutes of play). Tonight, it seemed like the family had decided upon Scrabble.

"Sure, that sounds perfect!" Vlad said, and this time his smile was slightly more genuine. He really did enjoy their board game nights, and tonight's game would serve as the perfect distraction from his angry, muddled thoughts.

"Have you ever played before?" Elizabeth asked kindly from across the dining room table.

Vlad shook his head. "I understand the gist of the game, though."

"Hmm, well if you've never played before, why don't we play in teams tonight?" Jonathan suggested.

"But we're an odd number," Maddie pointed out, and Vlad noticed that she was right; with Alicia here, they were now five instead of four.

But Alicia shook her head. "No, you four go for it. Scrabble's never really been my game, so I'll pass for tonight and I'll watch instead."

"Are you sure?" Jonathan asked his eldest daughter, who nodded.

"Yup, you four knock yourselves out," Alicia replied.

"Alright, in that case, we can play in teams of two," Jonathan said. "How about… me and Vlad against Maddie and Elizabeth." He turned to Vlad and gave him a sly grin. "We can take them, right?"

"Hah! You two are on!" Maddie accepted the challenge with a gleam in her eye.

"Alright, but be warned, we won't go easy on you two," Vlad smirked and Jonathan voiced his agreement.

Maddie snorted. "Me and my brilliant mother versus my goof of a father and somebody who has never played the game before?" she teased. "I don't know Vlad; I'm liking my chances."

"Chances? What chances? I'm afraid your math skills are slipping, my dear Maddie, because by my calculations, you two have absolutely no shot at beating us tonight," Vlad retorted, grinning wickedly.

"Alright, that's enough smack talk out of you two!" Elizabeth laughed at the banter being thrown across the dinner table.

"You're right, dear," Jonathan said. "There's only one way to settle this — let's go play!"

"Ready to put your money where your mouth is?" Maddie asked in challenge as the whole family moved to the living room after they quickly put the dirty dishes from dinner into the dishwasher.

"Maddie, I was born ready," Vlad said, winking at her. Maddie giggled and he smiled when he saw her smiling. However, the smile quickly slid off his face when he caught the hard stare that Alicia was giving him from across the room.

"Who wants to go get the board?" Jonathan asked right then.

"I'll go!" Vlad volunteered quickly, though even as he slipped out of the living room, he was acutely aware of Alicia's stare burning holes into his retreating back. Maddie had told him not to worry about her older sister, but the looks she kept giving him… for some reason they made him feel guilty, even though he knew he hadn't done anything wrong…

Or had he?

Vlad raked his thoughts for what that might have been, but his mind drew an oh-so-helpful blank. Vlad sighed as he reached the closet where the Fosters kept their board games. _Why women have to be so cryptic sometimes is beyond me,_ he thought wryly as he spotted the Scrabble box amidst the pile of board games and carefully pulled it out.

By the time Vlad got back to the living room, Maddie and her parents had already taken their seats around the coffee table — an empty space beside Jonathan awaited Vlad. However, what caught Vlad's attention was Alicia, who had curled up in a nearby armchair with a book. He bristled when he noticed that she was still giving him that same, hard look, and out of spite, he pinned her with his own, exaggerated stare. Alicia's eyes narrowed in response, and Vlad couldn't stop the smirk that tugged at his lips, a small (and rather immature) part of him satisfied at getting some sort of reaction out of her.

However, when Vlad sat down at the table on Jonathan's right-hand side, he noticed Maddie's unimpressed expression and realized that she had caught his and Alicia's little exchange. He blushed lightly and averted his gaze, quickly making to help Elizabeth set up the board instead.

Jonathan then pulled a coin out of his back pocket. "Alright, whoever calls it starts the game!" He gave the coin a flip and covered it with his palm as it fell. Maddie rightly called it heads, and after picking out their seven tiles, she and Elizabeth immediately put their heads together and began deliberating what their first word would be.

To Vlad's pleasant surprise, it turned out that he was rather good at the game (likely thanks to the vast amount of reading that he did). However, to his and Jonathan's dismay, Maddie and Elizabeth made for formidable opponents. Forty-five minutes into the game, the two women led the game by thirty points.

Vlad and Jonathan studied the letters in front of them, trying to come up with a good word that would help bridge the point gap between the two teams.

"Any ideas, Vlad?" Jonathan asked, hopefully.

Vlad shook his head, eyebrows furrowed in deep concentration. "Not yet… give me another minute."

"Time's ticking, Vlad," Maddie teased, clearly enjoying the comfortable lead that she and her mother were holding.

In an unusually out-of-character gesture, Vlad simply stuck his tongue out at her (immaturity: 2, maturity: 0 – boy, what was wrong with him today?) before glancing back at the letters in front of him:

DIEERNS

Vlad looked back up at the board, and noticed that the triple word score at the top-centre was still free. If only he could come up with a word to reach it….

He analyzed the right-hand side of the board and frowned at the four-letter word that was stretched horizontally across the top right-hand corner, covering that corner's triple-word score space: PITY.

 _Just what I need — a board game mocking me,_ Vlad thought in irritation.

And then it hit him.

Jonathan looked over at the sound of Vlad's quiet gasp. "You have a word?" Maddie's father asked in excitement.

A pleased smirk formed slowly on Vlad's face, and his eyes gleamed triumphantly. "No, I have _the_ word."

The Foster family watched as Vlad began to arrange his letters, and when the last letter was placed on the board, Vlad said off-handedly, "If this was chess, I believe that this would be _'checkmate'_."

Jonathan, Maddie and Elizabeth stared at the word that now stretched across the top of the board:

SERENDIPITY

Then Jonathan burst into loud laughter. "A triple word score and all seven letters used!" he exclaimed gleefully. "You really are a genius, Vlad! That's…" Jonathan did a quick calculation in his head. "… one hundred and one points!"

Elizabeth looked over at her speechless daughter. "I think the boys may have us beat with that," she said wryly as her husband continued to laugh with mirth.

After a moment, Maddie gave a soft laugh. "I hate to admit it, but you might be right," she acknowledged, shaking her head. "Alright, we admit defeat — you two win!"

Jonathan clapped Vlad on the shoulder. "I wasn't sure how we were going to come back from that thirty-point deficit, but I never should have underestimated the brains of my brilliant partner," Jonathan said victoriously, his laughter having quieted down to chuckles. "It's all thanks to you that we won the game, son!"

Vlad froze, stiffening under Jonathan's hand.

 _His father glared coldly at his son on the ground, and then turned his back on him. "Get out."_

 _Vlad's mother burst into tears, but she did not leave her seat._

 _Shaking, Vlad slowly got up to his feet and tried not to notice the smear of blood on his palm when he removed it from his cheek. He looked at his father's back and in his desperation he tried one last time: "F-father, please—"_

 _His father's voice cut through his son's words like a knife:_

" _Do not call me 'father'. You're not my son."_

Son.

And once again it was back, that familiar burn in his chest and that painful ache that squeezed his insides so hard that he couldn't stand it anymore.

He had to leave.

Vlad stood up suddenly, Jonathan's hand slipping off his shoulder. "I'm sorry, I just — I have — a headache. I need some air," he heard himself say rather curtly before walking out of the room as quickly as he could without running.

Once he reached the back patio door, he wretched it open and threw himself outside. The night was quiet and the wind blew gently, but it did nothing to calm the turmoil in his mind. He walked over to the porch's handrail and gripped it tightly. Small, wooden splinters dug angrily into the skin of his palms.

" _Damn it,_ " he cursed quietly, squeezing his eyes shut as his head fell forward. He kicked the porch in frustration. What was wrong with him? The anger he understood, the anger he could deal with, but this? This other feeling?

He felt disgusted with himself.

He stayed like that for a minute, trying to calm his racing thoughts. Soon after, however, he heard the patio door slide open quietly, and a faint light spilled from the house onto the back porch.

"Vlad?" came a soft voice behind him. The sound of delicate footsteps approached him, and a moment later he felt the presence of someone at his shoulder. "Talk to me, what happened in there?"

Vlad took a deep breath and looked straight ahead into the darkness of the backyard. "I should hate him," he said, slowly. "I should hate him, right, Maddie? For what he did to me. For what he said to me. For how he treated me."

"You're talking about your father, aren't you?" Maddie asked soberly, but it wasn't really a question. "I'm really sorry about what my father said, he really has no idea—"

"No, no, don't apologize," Vlad interrupted, shaking his head. "Your father is an incredible man. Both of your parents are incredible people, and they have been nothing but kind and welcoming to me ever since I walked through their front door. In fact, they've made me feel more welcomed and appreciated than my own parents ever did. You have a truly amazing family, Maddie… I'm lucky to have gotten to know them. But —" Vlad hesitated before he continued, "— but it's hard to be around any family without being reminded of your own, particularly at this time of year."

It was silent for a moment.

"You miss them, don't you?" Maddie asked, quietly.

Vlad's eyes flashed darkly and he looked away with a grimace. "No, I don't."

"Vlad, it's alright to admit it, it's —"

Vlad spun around to face her, his eyebrows furrowed darkly. "It's what, _natural_?" he spat angrily. "It's _normal_ to miss a man who put me down for _twenty-one years_? A man who used me, who never once cared about my happiness or my well-being or frankly anything about what I said or did unless it directly impacted the _family name_ or the _business_? A man who _hit_ his own son, disowned him and threw him out of his house in the middle of a _blizzard_? No!" Vlad suddenly realized that he was shouting, and he forced himself to lower his voice. "How could I miss a man like that?" he hissed in frustration. "What kind of person would that make _me_?"

He felt Maddie cover his hand gently with her own. "Human," she said, simply.

Vlad scoffed, but didn't pull away.

"Vlad, I'm not denying that your father is a cruel man," Maddie continued firmly. "He is. What he did and said was appalling and unforgivable. But that does not change the fact that he was still your father for twenty-one years. Twenty-one years can't be erased or forgotten in eight months, Vlad…"

Vlad sighed bitterly. "I've been trying to convince myself otherwise. It just feels so wrong to say that I miss…" He trailed off, and contemplated something for a moment before continuing. "I don't want to say 'to miss my father', because that's not quite it. I don't miss _him_ , not as a person. And I certainly don't regret my choice — I've never felt more free in my life. I'm just not sure how to explain it…"

"Try," Maddie encouraged softly.

Vlad pondered his words before speaking. "Before I confronted him last winter, I suppose there was always the hope that he would change," Vlad started slowly. "That he would one day stop and listen to what I had to say. That he'd understand. That he'd, well, become the father that I had always wanted him to be. And that's what I miss. I miss the hope that I had of one day having a normal, happy father-son relationship. And then coming here, meeting your parents, especially your father… it brought back those feelings and reminded me of what I never had, and the hope that I had lost."

Maddie opened her mouth, but Vlad caught the apologetic look in her eyes and cut her off before she could say a word.

"No, none of this is your fault!" Vlad exclaimed, shaking his head. "Don't think that, please. I'm grateful for your invitation to spend Christmas with your family! I've had an amazing time here." He then gave her a small smile. "If anything, I want to thank you. Thank you for bringing me here. Thank you for letting me experience what having a true family is like."

Maddie squeezed his hand. "There's no need to thank me. You're my best friend, Vlad — it's the least I could do. I'm just glad you've enjoyed your time here. And Vlad?" she added, after a thought.

"Hmm?"

"I know it will never make up for the family that you've lost, but if you ever need anything, my family's doors will always be open to you."

"Thank you Maddie… that means a lot to me," Vlad said, touched, and pulled Maddie into a warm embrace.

After a minute, the two stepped apart. "Are you alright to come back into the house?" Maddie asked. "We can make hot chocolate, if you'd like, or some warm tea."

"That sounds perfect," Vlad smiled. "Go on ahead. I just need another minute, and I'll be in to help you."

"Alright," Maddie nodded, and with a smile of her own she walked over to the porch door and slid inside the house.

Vlad sighed as he looked up at the inky black of the night sky, but to his relief, his thoughts were now much calmer. _I don't know what I'd do without her_ , he thought, thinking of his best friend who had just gone inside.

Just then, he heard the back door slide open again. Vlad turned around to tell Maddie that he was coming, but he was startled to see that it was not Maddie who had stepped through the patio door.

"Alicia?" Vlad asked, warily. "Can I help you with something?"

Maddie's older sister simply closed the door behind her and fixed Vlad with her hard stare, saying nothing.

After a moment of silence, Vlad frowned. "Listen, it's obvious to me that you do not like me. I don't know what I've done to offend you, but this silence is getting ridiculous. If you have something you wanted to say to me, just say it and set the record straight."

Alicia narrowed her eyes. "You've done nothing. Yet."

"Excuse me?" Vlad asked, taken aback. "If I've done nothing, then why are you treating me with such hostility?"

"Because I want to make sure that you take me seriously when I warn you that if you hurt my sister in any way, you'll sorely regret it," she threatened with a hint of malice in her voice.

"Hurt your sister?" Vlad exclaimed, bristling in indignation. "She's one of my closest friends! How could you even _suggest_ that I would do anything to hurt her?"

Alicia shook her head. "Friend? Don't kid yourself. I see the way you look at my sister, the way you talk to her, the way you act around her. There's more than friendship on your mind, and you'd be a fool to try to deny it in front of me."

Vlad opened his mouth to defend himself but Alicia cut him off.

"Listen closely, Vlad Masters. I've heard all about you from my sister, and it's clear to me what your feelings are towards her. It's time for you to make it clear to _her_. If you just want to be friends, then be clear about that. If you want something more from her, then be straight with her. But my sister ain't a plaything, so don't you _dare_ string her along if you've got no real intention of getting serious. So make your choice, _Masters,_ and make it soon. And whatever choice you make, you'd better treat my sister with the utmost kindness and respect, because as her sister, let me tell you something — you're _lucky_ to have someone like Maddie as your friend."

And with that, Alicia turned around, opened the back patio door and strode inside the house, leaving Vlad standing alone outside, slightly shell-shocked, wondering what the hell had just happened.

* * *

 **A/N:** I know that this chapter had a little bit of filler and fluff, but I wanted to slow things down and get some more important character interactions in before the end of the first arc. Also, I _had_ to throw in some scenes between Alicia and Vlad. This was the perfect opportunity. Not many people can wrong-foot Vlad, but I think Alicia definitely managed to by the end of this chapter.

The next update, like I said, will be up sometime during the next week. Chapter Twelve was one of the first chapters that I actually planned when I started writing this story, and I have a feeling that this pivotal chapter has the scene that a lot of you have probably been waiting for, so keep your eyes peeled for my next update!

Thanks for reading, and I hope you are enjoying the story so far! Please leave your feedback in a review - as always, I love to hear what you all think!

See you next week!

\- DreamsTH


	12. The Accident

**A/N:** Told you I'd be back quickly!

So, this chapter is my longest yet – it's just over ten thousand words. For me, that's a lot haha... There was a bunch of things that I needed to wrap up in this chapter, and I felt bad for disappearing for a few months, so the extra length is my little treat to you lovely readers!

This chapter took ages to write since I had to rewrite a few sections several times before I was relatively satisfied, so I really hope that it's alright and that you all enjoy it! So without further ado... Chapter Twelve!

* * *

 **Chapter 12: The Accident**

The rest of the Christmas holidays passed in a blur of excellent food, amazing company, and lots of laughter. Before Vlad knew it, it was time to say their good-byes to Maddie's family and leave the warmth of sunny Florida for the chill of snow-covered Wisconsin. Alicia had already left a few days prior, so it was only Elizabeth and Jonathan who saw Maddie and Vlad off when they left the house on New Year's Eve.

"Bye Mum, I'll miss you so much," Maddie was saying as she hugged her mother good-bye.

Elizabeth kissed her daughter on the cheek, and gave her a sad smile. "I'll miss you, too, my darling. You take care, keep doing well in school, and I will see you in a couple of months at your graduation ceremony!"

After another hug, Maddie turned to her father, who pulled her in for a big bear hug of his own. "Alright kiddo," he said as they pulled apart, "One semester left, that's it! Time to go big or go home, right?"

Maddie laughed. "Kiddo? That's new!"

"Well, you did point out to me earlier that you are in fact twenty-one years old now — I figured it was time for an upgrade," Jonathan joked as he ruffled her hair fondly.

"Don't I feel all honoured now," Maddie teased. "Alright, I'm going to go pack my luggage in the taxi — I'll be back in a moment."

As Maddie walked down the driveway towards the taxi waiting at the curb, Jonathan turned around to Vlad, who had stood a few steps back while Maddie said her good-byes.

"And you, Vlad," Jonathan said as he stepped towards Vlad and held out his hand, which Vlad grasped firmly. "I really hope you enjoyed your time here, because it was an absolute pleasure for us to have you as our guest this Christmas," Jonathan said as they shook hands. "Good luck in school, and have a great semester!"

"Thank you," Vlad said, smiling. "And thank you for letting me spend Christmas with your family. I could not have had a better holiday."

"Anytime, my boy," Jonathan said sincerely.

Vlad then turned to Elizabeth and held out his hand. "And thank you, Elizabe — _oof_!" he was cut off as Elizabeth ignored his outstretched hand and pulled Vlad in for a hug. When she pulled away, she gave a small, tinkling laugh at Vlad's slight blush.

"Alright dear, you take care," she said in a motherly tone. "Don't overwork yourself, stay healthy, and have a wonderful semester. And remember, if you ever want to visit Florida again, you are more than welcome in our home!"

Vlad nodded, touched. "Thank you. You two have been too kind."

"Nonsense!" Elizabeth waved her hand. "Oh, and one more thing."

"Yes?"

"You'll watch over my daughter, won't you? Keep her out of trouble?"

Vlad couldn't suppress the snort that followed that statement. "With all due respect, Elizabeth," he said, "It's your daughter that keeps _us_ out of trouble."

"You bet I do," Maddie agreed as she walked up from behind Vlad, having returned from packing her bags in the taxi. She put a hand on his arm. "Alright, we need to be off, or we'll miss our flight!"

Vlad nodded in agreement, and after Maddie exchanged her final 'good-bye's and 'I love you's with her parents, the two friends piled into the taxi. As the car pulled away from the house, Maddie rolled down her window, and she and Vlad waved back to her parents until the car rounded the curb and drove out of sight.

* * *

In retrospect, travelling on New Year's Eve probably wasn't the best idea. The airports were congested with Christmas holiday travellers trying to return home to their loved ones in time to welcome in the New Year together, and with the congestion came long line-ups and, of course, flight delays. By the time Maddie and Vlad finally stumbled through the door of Vlad's apartment in Madison, midnight was only an hour off.

"Jack?" Vlad called out as he put his suitcase down. When he got no response, he took off his boots and entered the kitchen.

"He may have gone on ahead without us," Maddie pointed out as she, too, took off her winter coat and boots. "We're almost two hours late, after all."

"I think you may be right," Vlad said as he spotted a piece of paper lying on the kitchen table. Picking it up, he skimmed it quickly, and nodded. "Mm hmm, he left us a note here saying that he left an hour ago to meet up with the rest of our friends at the bar. It says for us to join them as soon as we get in."

Maddie glanced uncertainly at the clock. "Will we make it there in time?"

"If we change quickly and get a cab — hopefully one is available close to us — then we'll make it with just enough time to get ourselves some drinks before the countdown," Vlad assured her.

And make it in time they did, with fifteen minutes to spare.

After a happy reunion with Jack that involved many hugs, claps on the back and a few sore ribs on Vlad's part, the trio quickly made their way over to the bar to buy their drinks before the toast. Jack, thrilled at finally being reunited with his friends again, offered to pay.

"Here ya go!" Jack said, handing Vlad and Maddie their drinks. "So, how was Christmas in Florida? Did you guys have fun?"

Vlad let Maddie take the helm with telling Jack the stories from their trip. Though he nodded here and there and occasionally added in a few words of his own, Vlad was content in letting his two friends do the chatting while he leaned against the bar counter, letting himself finally relax after a busy day of travel.

Vlad looked at all the smiling and laughing faces around him. The bar was completely packed with friends and family counting down the minutes to midnight. The anticipation of the approaching New Year buzzed in the air, and Vlad couldn't help but get swept up in the feelings of excitement as well. There was something wonderful about the coming of a New Year. It symbolized new comings, new beginnings, and a chance to start over — to start the next twelve months with a fresh, clean slate.

And naturally, as with every new beginning, there was the opportunity to make new goals and resolutions. Vlad pondered this for a moment — so what were _his_ resolutions?

 _Studying hard and staying at the top of my class,_ he supposed. But frankly, that had always been a goal of his. So what else did he want to accomplish?

 _Well, there's the ghost portal. To see that complete and fully functioning within a year's time would be beyond incredible_ , he thought.

Was there anything else?

His eyes fell on Maddie.

 _Yes, there was._

Vlad's thoughts went back to the conversation that he had had with Alicia a week prior. He remembered her threat to not hurt her sister and her suggestion to be clear with Maddie when it came to the feelings that Vlad had for her, and he couldn't help but wonder what had brought on that conversation…

Had Maddie said something to her sister about him? Did Alicia know something about Maddie's feelings that Vlad perhaps didn't? Did this mean that Maddie felt the same way about him that he felt about her? Was this a sign that he should go for it and ask her out? Or was this a way of Alicia letting him know that Maddie was not at all interested and that he was seeing hints that weren't actually there? Even a week later, these unanswered questions continued to plague his thoughts.

"One minute!" came a shout from somewhere across the bar, followed by a wave of excited cheers, and Vlad was shaken from his thoughts. He felt a delicate hand on his arm and he turned around to see Maddie and Jack looking at him.

"Is everything alright, Vlad?" Maddie asked.

Vlad looked at her for a moment, taking in her smiling face and sparkling eyes, and in that instant, something clicked inside him and his resolve hardened.

"Yes…" Vlad nodded, and he couldn't stop the smile that tugged at his lips. "Everything is… wonderful."

And as everybody in the bar began the ten second countdown, Vlad felt the truth of his words vibrate through him.

" _Ten!"_

This last year had been a rollercoaster of emotions.

" _Nine!"_

In a span of twelve months, he had confronted his father and, as a consequence, had lost his inheritance, family and home.

" _Eight!"_

And yet, in a span of twelve months, he had also achieved a freedom beyond any that he had ever experienced before.

" _Seven!"_

He was now pursuing his dreams, studying what he had always wanted to study, and living his life on his own terms.

" _Six!"_

He had grown closer than ever to his two best friends, and in them found the caring family that he hadn't had before.

" _Five!"_

And he had fallen in love with the most incredible woman.

" _Four!"_

And he was going to tell her.

" _Three!"_

A part of him was terrified of what she would say in response to his confession. Would she reciprocate his feelings? Or would she not?

" _Two!"_

But something was telling him that telling her was the right thing to do. That if he told her, everything would fall perfectly into place.

" _One!'_

So that was Vlad's third resolution: by the end of this year, he would tell her _everything._

" _Happy New Year!"_

And as Vlad and his two closest friends cheerfully toasted to new beginnings, he found himself genuinely looking forward to what the New Year had to bring, because he had a feeling that this year would be the best one yet.

* * *

Never had his intuition been more wrong.

* * *

However, this wouldn't become apparent until more than two months into the New Year. Over the first half of the winter semester, the trio worked hard and were kept very busy with their school work. Maddie in particular found herself under a lot of stress and pressure as the deadline for applications for graduate school approached. She applied to several schools across the country, but Vlad and Jack both knew that she wanted to do her Masters degree here in Wisconsin, and hoped to clinch a research position working in the Paranormal Studies laboratory under Professor Stein.

Even after the deadlines passed and Maddie had sent off her applications, she continued to worry that she wouldn't get into her top-choice program. The University of Madison-Wisconsin did boast the best paranormal studies research department in the country, after all, and only the brightest in the field were invited to work there for their graduate studies. However, Vlad knew that she would get accepted to the program. Not only was she one of the brightest students of their class, but Professor Stein was incredibly impressed by the caliber of the research that the trio was conducting and the progress that they were making with the ghost portal. Vlad knew that this was the type of promising research that the professor would love to see continued beyond this semester, and Vlad was certain that the professor wanted Maddie on his team. Either way, Maddie would find out the status of her acceptance within a month's time.

However, Maddie wasn't the only one anxiously awaiting the university's response. Jack and Maddie's graduation was rapidly approaching, but Vlad still had a year left in his own studies. Jack was still unsure of where he would search for work after he graduated, so there was the chance that he would be leaving Wisconsin. If Maddie got accepted for graduate school elsewhere, she would be leaving, too… Vlad did not doubt that the three friends would stay in close contact regardless, but at the same time, it would not be the same as living together in the same city.

He would miss them.

Vlad tried his best not to dwell on this, and instead threw all of his energy into their work on the ghost portal. While Maddie stressed over graduate school applications and Jack worked to make sure that he would pass all of his midterms, Vlad took it upon himself to shoulder the brunt of the work that needed to be done to complete their next proto-portal. Maddie and Jack felt awful for leaving Vlad with so much work, even temporarily, but Vlad assured them that he enjoyed the work.

Still, as soon as Jack finished his midterms and Maddie had submitted all of her graduate school applications, the two of them were quick to jump back into their work on the portal and ease the load off of Vlad. And now, with the final six weeks of the semester looming overhead, the trio began to spend all of their extra time working on the portal.

So, it was no surprise to Jack when he came home after class one sunny afternoon in early March to find Maddie and Vlad huddled together at the kitchen table, pouring avidly over a large spread of papers showing schematics, diagrams and rather complex-looking calculations.

"Hey you two, whatcha doin'?" Jack asked as he hung up his jacket and lumbered over to where his two friends sat in the kitchen.

"We're just going over the last few sets of calculations that need to be adjusted for the new ecto-filtrator…" Vlad replied without looking up. He leafed through a few of the pages before picking up the ones that he had been looking for. He scanned them quickly, then frowned. "Yes, these calculations are definitely no longer compatible with our new design," Vlad said, turning to Maddie. "We need to redo them before we perform our next trial run of the portal."

"Speaking of the trial," Maddie said, "When do you think we'll be ready to do that?"

"Didn't we say that we were going to test it by the end of this week?" Jack asked as he pulled an empty chair up to the table and sat down beside his friends.

"That was our initial deadline…" Vlad agreed slowly, his eyes skimming the long lines of calculations. "However, I'm no longer so sure that that will be possible. All of these calculations need to be fixed before we perform the next trial, and even if Maddie and I both pull a few late nights, I'm not sure that we'll manage to finish all of it in just a few days. Maddie has to finish her presentation for her upcoming biochemistry seminar, and I have an extensive genetics lab due at the end of this week…" Vlad shook his head. "I'm sorry, we're just going to have to push the deadline back until the end of next week. Finishing all of this by this weekend is just not feasible."

"Well, what if I help with some of the math?" Jack offered.

Vlad hesitated before answering his friend. "Jack, I know you want to help as much as you can, but you and I both know that mathematics are not your strong suit. It's probably best that you leave that to Maddie and myself."

"Aw, come on Vladdie," Jack pouted, "I'm not that bad at math. I did pretty good in our first-year calc class, didn't I?"

Vlad sighed. "Yes, you did just fine in that class, but you have to understand — the math that we're doing here is a bit beyond the math you encountered in first-year multivariate calculus."

"I know, but I just feel so useless… you two have been working like crazy on the portal lately, and I feel like I'm barely pulling my weight," Jack admitted, eyes downcast.

"Jack, that's not true!" Maddie exclaimed. "Your strengths are in design and construction. You played a huge role in coming up with the schematics for the portal, and you've been the one doing most of the manual assembly and welding in the lab! So maybe math isn't your strong suit — and that's alright. You've contributed in many other ways, and your work has been just as important!"

"I suppose…" Jack said, but he sounded so dejected that Vlad couldn't help but feel bad.

"Well…" Vlad started in a tone that made Jack perk up slightly. "Perhaps there are some simpler calculations that you could do. Let me outline them for you, and you can give them a go."

Jack let out a whoop and clapped his friend on the shoulder. "Thanks Vladdy-my-man!" he exclaimed cheerfully. "I won't let you down!"

Vlad chuckled, shaking his head. "You're welcome. Just be sure to give your finished work to Maddie or myself to look over once you're done, so that we can double check it. Not that I don't have faith in you…"

"Nah, I understand," Jack said. "We can't afford mistakes."

"Exactly," Vlad nodded. "And trust me, Jack, it's not just _your_ math that we're double checking. Maddie and I are always checking over each others' work, and I frequently submit some of the more complex equations to some of my old professors to look over."

"It's definitely better to double check our work now in order to prevent any potentially dangerous situations in the lab," Maddie agreed. "We've already had one portal catch fire — we can't afford to have another accident, especially one that actually damages the lab."

Vlad snorted. "Neither can the paranormal studies department. I'm mildly surprised that they let us continue running trials on our own after we almost set fire to the lab that time."

"That's probably because you promised that you'd personally fund the reconstruction of a new, state-of-the-art laboratory if we did," Maddie laughed.

"Hmm, that's right, I did, and I'm starting to regret that bluff," Vlad said ruefully. "Well, in this case, we _definitely_ need to be double — if not triple — checking our work, because I can't _afford_ to replace an entire lab and its equipment."

"Don't worry, we'll take all measurable precautions to protect you and your wallet," Maddie teased. Then she turned to Jack. "I can look over your work once you're done," she assured, smiling. "So just give it to me whenever you've finished!"

"Thanks Mads, you rock!" Jack grinned. "And you too, V-man."

Vlad shot Jack a look of mild exasperation. "You're never going to let that name die, are you?"

"Nope!" Jack grinned unabashedly, and Maddie giggled at Vlad's unimpressed expression.

Maddie and Vlad spent a few more minutes wrapping up their work while Jack wandered over to the fridge in search of something that he could eat for dinner. Once the last few files were tidied up, Maddie pushed back her chair and stood up. She did a little stretch before yawning. "I don't know about you two boys, but I'm tired. I think we've worked hard enough for today — let's break for the rest of the night, and we'll pick things back up tomorrow!"

And once they did pick things back up again the next day, they didn't stop until the work was done. Though it was mainly Vlad and Maddie that rewrote and recalculated the majority of the remaining math, Vlad allocated some of the calculations to Jack as promised, and he was impressed by how hard Jack worked to finish his part on time. Though Vlad did not get the chance to go over Jack's calculations himself, Maddie looked them over and determined Jack's work to be valid, something that Jack was very proud of.

Finally, after five long days, they finished their new proto-portal. The trio was exhausted, but very pleased as they stood in front of the prototype in the lab. The shiny chrome of the portal frame gleamed with newness and promise, and the three friends could not wait to test it out.

"Tomorrow?" Vlad asked as the three of them gazed at the portal with barely-suppressed excitement.

"Tomorrow," Maddie and Jack nodded, eyes bright.

* * *

The next morning, Vlad was out of bed before the sun rose, even though it was a Sunday and he had no school to get ready for. He had tried falling back asleep when he woke up and saw that the sky was still dark outside his window, but gave up after sleep continued to evade him. Deciding that he might as well be productive, he got dressed and went out of his bedroom.

To his surprise, he found Jack — who normally did not even stir before noon on a weekend — already dressed, sitting at the kitchen table eating breakfast.

"Jack? What are you doing up so early?" Vlad asked in surprise as he walked into the kitchen.

Jack looked up at his friend, and grinned sheepishly. "Couldn't sleep. I couldn't stop thinking about our portal. It's dumb, I know — it's just a test run, it might not even work…"

"No, I understand," Vlad said as he sat down next to his friend at the table. "I couldn't sleep either."

They sat together in silence for a minute, before Jack suggested that he make some coffee for the two of them.

"Vladdie, do you think it's going to work this time?" Jack asked suddenly as he scooped ground coffee into the filter of the coffee maker before closing the lid and pressing the machine's 'on' button.

"I'm not sure," Vlad replied honestly from where he sat at the kitchen table. "I don't want to make any promises, and I certainly don't wish to get our hopes up… but, at the same time, I have a good feeling about this proto-portal. The design is much more solid than our previous one. We've spent over two months making improvements to the last proto-portal design, and that one _did_ work to an extent. Well, it turned on, at least."

"So you think we have a good chance this time?"

Vlad leaned back in his chair and contemplated it for a moment, before he nodded slowly. "Yes, I think we do," he said, and a small smile tugged at his lips.

A few minutes later, Jack brought over two steaming mugs and handed one over to Vlad. Thanking his friend, Vlad brought the mug to his lips and took a long sip of coffee…

Which he promptly gagged on.

"What in the — what did you _put_ in this?" Vlad spluttered, hastily putting the mug down.

"Just some milk and a bit of sugar!" Jack exclaimed in bewilderment. "Isn't that how you always take your coffee?"

"Are you _sure_ that's what you put in?" Vlad asked, a note of disgust in his voice from the lingering taste of the foul coffee in his mouth.

"Ya, of course! The sugar's over there," Jack pointed to a container sitting on the kitchen counter. "And I put the milk back in the fridge… I dunno, maybe the milk's gone bad?"

But as Vlad squinted at the sugar container in question, a strange expression formed on his face. Jack noticed. "Is everything alright, V-man?" he asked in alarm. "The coffee didn't make you sick, did it?"

"No, it's not that," Vlad said slowly. "Jack… you do realize that that's the _salt_ container, right?"

Jack's expression melted into one of disbelief, and he swivelled around to take a good look at the container. "No, it's definitely not, the salt container has the word 'salt' written on it, I think I can tell the diff—" He stopped suddenly when he noticed the word 'SALT' printed clearly across the tin in question. "Oh." He slapped his forehead. "Jeez, Vladdie, I'm sorry, I've been so distracted ever since I got up this morning. It's the experiment that we're doing later, it's gotten me all anx—"

Vlad shook his head and held up his hand for his friend to stop. "Don't worry Jack, I understand," he repeated. He stood up and grabbed the two mugs of coffee. "I'll dump these and make us two fresh cups. There's no harm done, see?"

However, after Jack accidentally spilled his fresh mug of coffee (courtesy of Vlad) and shattered not one, but two plates while washing the dishes, Vlad decided that real harm might in fact _be_ done if Jack continued in this manner. So did Jack.

"Man, I don't know what's wrong with me today…" Jack muttered as he carefully picked out shards of broken glass out of the sink after the second dish mishap.

"Jack, you just need to try to relax," Vlad said from the living room, where he was doing last minute checks on various schematic designs and mathematical calculations for the proto-portal. "I understand that you're excited about this afternoon — we all are — but just try to sit down, breath, and clear your thoughts. We all need to be focused today in the lab. It's a delicate experiment that could prove dangerous if we have our heads in the clouds."

Jack shook his head. "Maybe I should sit this one out. With the way my luck's going today, I'll probably blow up the portal, or set the lab on fire."

"Don't be ridiculous," Vlad said distractedly, now flipping through one of his paranormal studies textbooks. "Everything will be fine."

"Who's setting the lab on fire today?"

Vlad and Jack looked up at the sound of Maddie's slightly-alarmed voice — she had evidently just arrived and had let herself into the apartment right on time to catch the end of the boys' conversation.

Vlad closed his textbook and began to gather up the papers around him. "Nobody is setting anything on fire," he reassured her. "Jack has just had a bit of a clumsy morning and he's being unusually self-deprecating."

Maddie walked into the kitchen and gave Jack a sympathetic smile. "Don't worry Jack. I'm a bit anxious, too, but it's all going to go well, you'll see!"

"Okay… I trust you two," Jack said after a moment, and then he grinned boyishly, all seriousness gone from his expression in an instant. "So, who's ready to test this baby out?"

Vlad rolled his eyes as Maddie giggled — only Jack could completely flip his mood so instantaneously. However, at his friend's words, Vlad felt a little flame of excitement kindle in his chest. He allowed himself a small smile. "Alright, let's go do it."

An hour later, the trio were in the lab, hooking up the portal and all of the supporting equipment. After connecting the remaining wires to the portal, Vlad stood up and did a little stretch before looking around the lab. Maddie stood a few feet away from him, conducting some pre-trial tests of the proto-portal, and over at the next bench, Jack was still bent over the ecto-filtrator, connecting all the plugs and welding together the last few pieces.

Vlad had to suppress a snort at the sight of his best friend, who had decided that today was the perfect day to debut his orange jumpsuit that he had purchased a few months back. Right before they had left the apartment, Jack came out of his room wearing the jumpsuit and proclaimed that whoever designed it was a genius ("It's stylish _and_ practical!"). Maddie had quickly elbowed Vlad in the ribs to prevent him from giving his opinion on Jack's choice of outerwear, as if she knew that what Vlad wanted to say was not going to be complimentary in nature.

Evidently she knew him very well.

This had led to a whispered conversation (read: argument) between Maddie and Vlad — who were careful to stay out of Jack's earshot — as the trio walked to the lab:

"Maddie, he looks like a walking pumpkin!"

"Well, I think the jumpsuit looks lovely!"

"You're joking."

"Regardless, he doesn't need his best friend mocking his choice of clothing!"

"Maddie, I'm trying to _protect_ him. What will others say when he goes around wearing that in public?"

"This coming from the person who constantly talks about the importance of living life based on what you want and not based on the thoughts and expectations of other people."

That had quickly shut Vlad up, and as they entered the lab, Vlad reluctantly agreed to keep any orange-jumpsuit-related comments to himself from then on.

"Alright, I think I'm done here," Maddie said as she finished jotting down some final notes and numbers from her pre-trial calibrations, shaking Vlad out of his thoughts.

Vlad walked over and took a look at her notes. He nodded, finding everything in order. "What about you, Jack?" he asked, looking over his shoulder. "Is the ecto-filtrator done?"

"Yup, just finished!" Jack replied, straightening up and removing his safety goggles.

"Alright, in that case, I think we can start," Vlad said. He turned to Maddie. "Could you go get the ecto-purifier from the cooling unit? It should have reached the correct temperature by now."

"Of course, I'll be right back with that!" she said, and walked towards the back room where they had stored the purifier.

Vlad did one last walk-around inspection of the proto-portal and its adjacent parts, checking closely that all of the wires were properly connected and that all components were properly attached, sealed and welded. Once he was satisfied that everything seemed to be in order, he stepped several feet back from the portal and Jack joined him. The two friends looked over their creation in anticipation.

A minute later, Maddie came back with a large beaker labelled "Ecto-purifier" and poured it into their newly-designed ecto-filtrator. She did a double check for leaks, and then gave a thumbs up to her two lab partners.

Vlad nodded in acknowledgement, and pulled on his safety goggles and a pair of thick gloves before Jack passed him the controller to the portal.

"Alright, is everybody ready?" Vlad asked, and Maddie and Jack nodded with bated breath.

 _This is it_.

Vlad took a deep breath, trying to quell his jittery nerves, and then he pushed firmly on the switch of the controller. A slow hum penetrated the quiet of the room as the power generator was switched on, and the hum grew louder as the stored power began to build. The trio watched as the meter on the side of the generator inch further and further to the right. In a few moments, enough power would be generated to set in motion a series of cascade reactions that, if their design held true, would open and stabilize the portal.

It only took a few second, but those seconds felt like hours. Vlad's thoughts raced as he thought about what this experiment would mean if it succeeded. If everything worked as they hoped, they would soon have definitive proof of the existence of a parallel _ghost_ _dimension,_ a concept that was still hard for him to wrap his mind around, despite all of the work and research that he had done on it. Not only would they have proof of the existence of such a dimension, but they would also have a _door_ to it. A means to explore it. It was simultaneously a thrilling and terrifying prospect, because in reality, they had very little idea of what they might find in there.

Suddenly, the meter pinged as it hit one hundred percent, and Vlad held his breath in anticipation for what would happen next.

However, what _did_ happen next was very unexpected.

Vlad stared in disbelief as suddenly, without any visible cause, the proto-portal generator's hum died and its lights blinked off. He looked down at the controller in his hands and pressed the "on" button again, but the power generator only briefly hummed in response before shutting down once again.

"What the heck…?" Vlad heard Jack utter in bewilderment beside him.

"No…" Vlad whispered, audible frustration lacing his words. "I don't understand. It should have worked. The design was impeccable. _It should have worked._ "

He slammed the controller down on the lab bench with more force than necessary, and had a sudden and violent urge to kick the bench in from of him. Instead, Vlad closed his eyes and forced himself to take a deep breath before letting it out slowly. He felt a hand touch his shoulder.

"Vlad, it's alright," Maddie said soothingly, though Vlad could hear a tinge of disappointment in her voice, too. "We still have the lab for a couple of hours today. Maybe we can find what the problem is."

Vlad opened his eyes, and after a moment he nodded. "Alright," he said, forcing himself to swallow his frustration and focus on the problem at hand. He straightened up and turned to his friends. "Alright," Vlad repeated. "So that should have worked. Our mathematical proof was solid, and we spent months ensuring its validity. So if we assume that our model is correct — which I do — our device must have some sort of mechanical problem. Perhaps we missed an important connection somewhere, or we wired something incorrectly."

"Well, if that's the case, we should be able to isolate the component of the portal in which the error occurred by checking the readings on our instruments," Maddie pointed out. "Each component turns on sequentially — we just need to check where the sequence was halted."

"That's what I was thinking," Vlad nodded. "I'll check the portal. Maddie, you go check the generator, and Jack, you can check the ecto-filtrator."

Each of the trio went on to their assigned tasks, and not a minute later Vlad heard Jack say: "Hey you two, come here — it looks like the problem's with the ecto-filtrator."

Vlad and Maddie came over and inspected the readings from the instruments connected to the ecto-filtrator, and saw that Jack was correct.

"Okay, so now what?" Jack asked.

"Hmm," Vlad considered their options. "Let's open up the ecto-filtrator and compare it to our schematics to double check that we assembled everything correctly. If the problem isn't with assembly, then we'll have to go back to the mathematical design, which will be time consuming… but perhaps we won't have to. Let's start with this."

Maddie nodded. "That sounds reasonable. I have the notes and schematics for the ecto-filtrator in a white folder in my backpack," she said, pointing to the blue bag laying on the ground a few benches down from where the trio stood.

"I'll get that," Vlad said, already walking over in the direction of the bag. "You two get started on dismantling the filtrator, and I'll join you in a second."

Once he reached Maddie's bag, he unzipped it and carefully rifled through the contents before his eyes landed on the folder that Maddie had mentioned. However, as he pulled it out, the heading of another document that had been under the folder caught his attention:

 _The_ _University of Wisconsin-Madison: Department of Paranormal Studies._

He knew what it was in an instant.

Vlad's eyes flickered over to where Maddie and Jack where hunched over the ecto-filtrator. Maddie's back was to Vlad, but he still hesitated. _It's not my business_ , he tried telling himself. _She'll tell us when she's ready, whatever the results are._

But the temptation was too great — he really wanted to know if his best friend had succeeded in reaching the goal that she had been working so hard towards these last few years.

Making a split second decision, he reached for the document that had caught his eye and slipped it out of the bag a few inches, and he skimmed the first paragraph of the page, looking for the words that he hoped he would find…

And when he did see the words, his face broke out into a wide grin:

' _Congratulations, Ms. Madeline Foster:_

 _We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted into our Paranormal Studies graduate program…'_

Pride bubbled in his chest, and he had to force himself not to run over to Maddie and sweep her into a congratulatory hug at that very moment. _She had done it!_ Vlad thought elatedly. Maddie had gotten into her dream graduate program here at the University of Wisconsin. All of her hard work had been worth it. He was beyond proud of her accomplishment.

Then another realization struck Vlad, and with this realization came an incredible sense of relief and contentment - Maddie would be staying in Wisconsin during Vlad's final year undergraduate studies. She wasn't leaving in six weeks after all.

He wouldn't spend the next year alone.

His happiness and relief now completely overshadowed his frustration with their disappointing proto-portal trial. After carefully putting the acceptance letter back in its original place and zipping up Maddie's backpack, Vlad had to force himself to keep his expression neutral as he made his way back over to where Maddie and Jack were working, white folder in hand. He wouldn't say anything about Maddie's acceptance until she brought it up herself — they were close friends, but Vlad figured that she probably would not be too impressed to find out that he had been snooping in her bag.

Upon reaching the lab bench, Vlad opened the folder, took out the papers outlining the ecto-filtrator schematics and spread them across the top of the lab bench. "So this is how the filtrator should have been assembled," Vlad said as Maddie and Jack gathered around the designs. "We need to double check that everything is as it should be in order to eliminate assembly error from the possible causes of experimental failure."

Jack and Maddie nodded, and the trio got busy pulling apart and inspecting every inch of the machine. Half an hour passed without a single discovery of a discrepancy until:

"Vladdie, take a look at this," Jack said, pointing to bundle of wires in the lower right corner of the filtrator. Vlad complied, and noticed that one of the wires had a small kink in it. He frowned and delicately used a finger to prop up the offending wire from the rest in the bundle so that he could better examine it.

"That could be our problem, couldn't it?" Jack asked. "Should we replace the wire?"

"I'm not so sure that that will be necessary…" Vlad said, his eyebrows still furrowed. Gently, as not to dislodge it or any of the surrounding wires, Vlad straightened out the kink using a small pair of tweezers, and then carefully placed the wire back into its original position.

"So that's it, isn't it?" Jack asked in sudden excitement. "The kink was the reason that the portal didn't turn on, and now that we've fixed it, it should work, right?"

However, Vlad didn't share Jack's enthusiasm. "In all honesty, I don't think that was the problem," Vlad said, hesitantly. "The kink was rather small — a kink of that size should not have had such an impact on the running of the portal. I think we should keep inspecting the ecto-filtrator for other flaws."

"Hold on there, Vlad," Maddie interjected. "I agree that it was small, but you never know. Maybe we should give it a try. If the portal doesn't work again, then we can eliminate the kink as a problem and continue looking, but there is a remote chance that that _was_ our problem."

Vlad sighed. "Alright, if you think it's worth a shot, then we can give it a go," he said, albeit reluctantly.

"We have nothing to lose, right?" Maddie asked, a small smile gracing her lips.

Vlad gave a noncommittal shrug while Jack whooped in excitement. "We got this, guys!" Jack exclaimed.

"Alright Jack, why don't you quickly close up the ecto-filtrator, and Vlad and I will double check the portal's calibrations," Maddie suggested.

Jack nodded in agreement. "Sure, but all of this work has made me super thirsty. Let me just grab a drink first," he said, before going to his backpack and pulling out a can of diet cola. He pulled the tab up and took a long sip.

Vlad frowned. "Jack, we're not supposed to have open drinks in the lab, you know that."

"Oh right, sorry, I'll just put it over here," Jack replied sheepishly, placing it on an empty bench away from their equipment.

"Fine," Vlad sighed, "Just be careful with that, alright? The last thing we need is to get caught breaking lab regulations."

Jack promised that he would before walking back over to the ecto-filtrator, where he began to reassemble the machine in preparation for their next test run.

Vlad made his way over to the portal and began tweaking their instruments, and a moment later, he noticed Maddie joining him out of the corner of his eye. Suddenly she laughed out loud, and Vlad turned to her, giving her a curious glance.

"What is it?" he asked.

"I'm just imagining what Professor Stein's face will look like when we tell him that we succeeded in making a _functioning ghost portal_ ," Maddie said, still laughing.

Vlad gave a small laugh, too. "We might need to have an ambulance on standby," he joked, "in case his heart stops from shock." Maddie giggled in agreement, and the two got back to their work.

However, Vlad's thoughts were now distracted. S _peaking of Professor Stein…_ Vlad looked over at Maddie, and suddenly he couldn't stand it. He wanted to tell her that he knew about her acceptance to the graduate program. He wanted to congratulate her, to embrace her, and to celebrate her success with her. However, she hadn't told him yet, so technically he wasn't supposed to know yet…

Then a very simple idea struck him: he could just bring up the subject, _pretend_ that he didn't know, and _ask_ her about it.

 _You're a true genius,_ a sarcastic, snide voice at the back of his head added, which Vlad promptly decided to ignore.

Vlad cleared his voice awkwardly, searching for the right words that would sound the least suspicious. "Maddie, there's something I've been meaning to ask you for a long time now. I know that this might seem out of the blue, yet I didn't want to bring it up before because I respected your right to telling us when you were ready-"

"Mmm, one second Vlad," Maddie said distractedly, and Vlad noticed she was still concentrating on her last calibration. He frowned, and then berated himself internally.

 _Perhaps now_ isn't _the best time to ask,_ Vlad thought in retrospect. _Wasn't I just telling Jack a few hours ago about the importance of being focused in the lab today? That's probably why Maddie decided not to tell us about her acceptance yet —she didn't want us to be distracted from our work at such a crucial time._

Just then, Jack straightened up with a satisfied smile as he put his tools down, evidently having finished with the filtrator. Maddie noticed, and turned to him. "Jack, did you remember to fill the ecto-filtrator with ecto-purifier?"

"On it, baby!" Jack exclaimed, and the excitement in his voice was palpable.

Vlad turned back around to inspect the portal, frowning. He could hear Jack bumbling around somewhere in the back, probably looking for the ecto-purifer. Vlad sighed. He wished he could share Jack's optimism, but Vlad still didn't think that fixing that small kink was going to make the portal work. It was too simple. There _had_ to have been something else wrong with one of their machines.

"I'm telling you Jack, it won't work," Vlad stated flatly.

"Bogus, V-man, it totally will!" Jack exclaimed determinedly. "We fixed the problem, didn't we? This proto-portal is _guaranteed_ to bust open the wall into the ghost dimension!"

Vlad shook his head, but decided to let it go. He supposed there really wasn't any harm in trying, like Maddie had said… save for more disappointment, particularly on Jack's part, who seemed so confident that their quick fix had solved the problem.

"Hey Vlad, do you want to do the honours again?" Jack asked, and Vlad glanced over his shoulder to see Jack offering the controller for the portal. Maddie had moved away from the portal and was now doing a last minute scan of the notes that they had written up on the ecto-filtrator.

"No, that's fine," Vlad replied, and turned back to inspect the bright, shiny chrome of the portal. "It's your turn, go ahead."

"Thanks Vladdie!" Jack said, then glanced over in Maddie's direction. "So, are we good to go?"

"Give me a moment, I just wanted to double check something," she responded, not looking up. Maddie's eyes rapidly skimmed the pages of squiggles and equations, and a satisfied smile formed on her lips. "Looks like everything is good here…" she said slowly as she began to scan the final page of math. Jack took this as his cue.

"Vlad, you might want to step back!" Jack exclaimed. "I'm about to power this baby up!"

"I'm fine here," Vlad said, waving his hand in dismissal.

Jack gave him an uncertain look. "I know you don't think that the portal's going to turn on… but in case it does, it's probably not a good idea for you to stand so close to it."

"If I see that it's working, I'll step back," Vlad said, rolling his eyes, but at Jack's continued worried look, Vlad's expression softened. "I promise," he reassured his friend.

Knowing that that was the best that he was going to get out of Vlad, Jack nodded and then grinned broadly. "Alright you guys! In three… two… one…"

Then suddenly, Maddie gasped, and the tone in which she said her next five words made Vlad freeze.

"Jack, these calculations aren't right," Maddie whispered in horror, but it was too late. Jack, swept up in the moment, did not hear her words as he yelled out, _"Bonzai!"_

Jack's thumb pressed down on the console…

Then time slowed to a halt for Vlad.

He remembered hearing the sound of the power generator, and how quickly the hum grew into a deafening roar.

He remembered seeing the ecto-filtrator come to life out of the corner of his eye, red and green lights flashing ominously as the power from the generator raced through it.

He remembered staring at the portal as tendrils of energy — their green hue eerie and unnatural —twisted and writhed horribly until they merged to form a swirling pool at the centre of the portal.

He remembered a voice inside his head, screaming at him to move, to get out of the way, but an indescribable mix of terror and fascination rooted him to the spot.

And when the energy within the portal finally destabilized and exploded outwards, he remembered feeling the most excruciating, burning pain as the toxic green energy engulfed him.

The pain… It was unbearable, it was agonizing, and it tore at him in waves of ever-increasing magnitude. He heard a scream, and it took a moment for him to realize that it was his own voice that he was hearing. However, once he did realize, he continued to scream, louder and louder until the sound was strangled in his throat by the ever-growing pain.

Every cell in his body burned, every nerve cried out as if hundreds of invisible knives had been simultaneously plunged into his body, ripping and tearing every muscle and tissue apart. He didn't understand what was happening. He didn't know where he was. He didn't even know _who_ he was anymore.

For one, horrifying moment that seemed to last an eternity, all he knew was _pain_.

And he _begged_ for it to end. He begged for death as his body screamed in agony. He didn't care, he didn't care anymore — _Just let me die_ — _just let the pain END —_

And then, very suddenly, it did.

Vlad didn't know how long he stood there, hunched over, clutching his head. Every inch of him tingled with pins and needles and his vision swam, unable to focus on anything in front of him. His breath was ragged in his burning throat as he gasped for air, and his heart raced uncontrollably.

Hold on.

He was breathing? His heart was still beating?

 _He was alive?_

Vlad's mind raced, unable to comprehend what had just happened. He stayed like that, in a state of utter shock, until a voice behind him grounded him back to reality.

"Vlad?"

Never had Vlad heard Maddie's voice so timid and so terrified. He straightened up slowly, still facing the portal, but his legs were shaking so hard that he stumbled and was forced to grab the counter in front of him for support. His head felt like it had been stuffed with cotton and he shook it, trying to dispel the unpleasant feeling. He took another deep breath, gathered his strength, and turned around to face his friends.

Jack and Maddie gasped simultaneously, and Vlad saw them both flinch back.

"Oh my god… Vlad…" Maddie moaned, and Vlad felt a chill run down his spine at her tone.

"What?" Vlad asked in panic, eyes flickering between the shocked expressions that both Maddie and Jack wore. "What is it?"

But Maddie and Jack only stared, their eyes reflecting the rising fear that Vlad was feeling.

" _What?!"_ Vlad suddenly found himself crying out, overwhelmed. _"Why are you_ looking _at me like that?!"_

"V-Vlad… y-your face…y-you… _y-your eyes_ …" Maddie managed to stammer out. Jack stood beside her mutely, mouth open, his own shock rooting him to the spot.

His _face?_ Vlad looked around the lab wildly, looking for a mirror, a reflective surface, _something._ His eyes fell upon the small mirror that hung above the hand-washing station at the other end of the lab, and he stumbled over to it. Vlad's hands grasped desperately at the sink's edge, but he paused before he looked up. Did he want to know? Did he _want_ to see what the portal had done to him, see the damage that had caused his two best friends to flinch back in horror?

No, he didn't want to know.

But he _had_ to know _._

Vlad took a deep breath before looking up into the mirror, and stumbled back with a gasp at the sight of his reflection, his eyes growing wide.

His bright, _glowing_ eyes.

"W-wha-what?" Vlad whispered in disbelief as he took in his reflection. He didn't recognize himself. It wasn't _him_. His hair was _black_ , not this bright silver-white. His eyes were a _dark_ blue _,_ not this light, neon shade — and they most certainly did not _glow_. Vlad raised a trembling hand to his cheek, and traced the angry-red, hive-like rash that had formed across his face and down his neck. As his finger tips brushed the damaged skin, he hissed in pain, and quickly brought his hand away from his face.

He stared in the mirror for a minute, his mind trying to process everything that had happened. But he couldn't. He didn't want this to be real.

"V-Vlad?" a tentative voice came from behind him, and Vlad spun around, startled, not having heard Maddie's footsteps approach.

Vlad opened his mouth to say something, but no words came out. His mind was blank.

Maddie bit her lip. "V-Vlad," she started again, voice trembling. "I-I don't know understand what just happened, but I think we need to get you to the hospital."

The word 'hospital' snapped Vlad out of his trance. "No," he said, shaking his head. "No, I'm fine."

"Vlad, you're not _fine_ ," Maddie said, her voice pleading. "You've been exposed to a dangerous level of radiation and I don't know what else. Please, Vlad, we need to call an ambulance." She took a few steps towards her friend and placed her hand gently on his arm, but Vlad shook it off and stumbled backwards.

" _No!_ " Vlad repeated, and took a few more steps back as Maddie continued to move towards him. "I'm fine. Nothing happened. This didn't happen. This didn't _happen,_ " he rambled, eyes darting around the room in panic.

"Vlad, please," Maddie begged, reaching out her hand for his. "Your life could still be in danger; you need to _listen_ to me. I know you're scared, but please, try to be rational — we need to get you to the hospital _now._ "

Vlad's eyes flickered from Maddie's panic-stricken face over to Jack, who was still frozen in the same spot, his face as white as a sheet. Vlad looked back at Maddie, and then at her outstretched hand. A part of his mind was telling Vlad to listen to her, that she was right, that he needed help. But panic and terror and denial overshadowed any logical thought — _he just needed to get out of there_.

"I— I—" Vlad stammered, and then spun on his heel and fled the room, Maddie's cries for him to stop echoing behind him.

He didn't know how long he ran for, but when his thoughts at last became coherent once more, he realized that his legs had carried him to the asphalt path that wound around the shoreline of the bay, somewhere midway between the university campus and his apartment. Vlad slowed down and stumbled the last few steps, reaching out to steady himself on a nearby tree trunk. His heart hammered hard against his chest, and he struggled to catch his breath as he looked around.

The path was empty, which was unusual for a Sunday afternoon. However, it had clouded over significantly in the last few hours, and the dark, grey clouds hung heavily in the sky, as if struggling to contain the rain held within them. Most people must have already headed inside to take cover, and so Vlad found himself all alone.

Suddenly, a sharp pain blossomed in his chest, and Vlad fell back against the tree trunk, clutching at his front with both hands. He clenched his jaw and squeezed his eyes shut, waiting for the pain to pass. After a moment, it subsided to a dull ache, but with that came a sudden wave of exhaustion — the adrenaline from the accident that had evidently been keeping him going had run its course. Vlad's knees buckled under him, and he slid slowly to the ground.

 _So this was it_.

Vlad leaned his head back and looked up at the bare tree branches that swayed above. He didn't know how he had survived the initial accident. Something at the back of his mind was telling him that the explosion from the portal should have killed him. However, it didn't matter that he had survived, as it was obvious that death had only been temporarily delayed. His limbs were growing heavy as lead. It was getting harder to breath. He was becoming more and more light-headed, and black blotches had begun to claw at the edges of his vision.

He was dying.

A sound that was a mix between a laugh and a sob burst from Vlad's chest as he lay there in the grass, propped up against the tree. He couldn't believe that this was happening. Twenty-one years old and already out of time. He wanted desperately to live, to stand up, to find help. But he no longer had any strength in him.

A lone tear streaked down his cheek as he closed his eyes. He let out a long, rattling breath. No, there was nothing he could do now but accept the cards that he had been dealt.

But he didn't want to accept it. He _couldn't_ accept it.

"Damn it," Vlad whispered angrily, opening his eyes again. Why had he run from the science building? What had he been _thinking_? He should have stayed, he should have listened to Maddie and called for the paramedics. But he hadn't. In his shock, he had allowed the panic to overtake his mind, and now he was all alone, dying. There was nobody else nearby, nobody who would hear his shouts for help. There wasn't even a pho—

Vlad's heart thumped hard in chest as something caught his eye in the distance. He squinted, trying to focus his blurring vision. He had to make sure it was what he thought it was, that his eyes weren't just playing tricks on him…

But no, they weren't, it was really there — there was a pay phone nestled under another tree about thirty feet away.

He could call for help.

A spark of hope flickered in his chest, but it died quickly. If he wanted to make the call, he would have to make his way over there, and in the condition that he was in, the phone may as well have been thirty miles away, not just thirty feet.

Vlad swore and clenched his eyes shut, trying to hold back more tears. The payphone teased him with the chance to live, but it was too far; he didn't have the strength to make it.

 _But it's not fair!_ a little voice in his mind cried out. _There's so much that I haven't done yet!_

 _I wanted to finish school._

 _I wanted to travel every inch of the world._

 _I wanted to start my own family._

 _I wanted to leave my mark on the world._

 _I wanted — no, I WANT to live!_

A rush of images began to flash through Vlad's mind, and with each image came more of his regrets.

He saw his mother's kind, beautiful, face, and Vlad regretted the little time that they had gotten to spend together when he was a young boy…

He saw his father, proud and tall, with eyes as cold as steel, and Vlad regretted how things had turned out between them, and how he would now never get the chance to set things right with him…

He saw Jack, a wide, goofy grin spread across his face, and Vlad regretted that he would never again have a conversation with his best friend, or share another laugh with him, or simply spend time in his company…

And then he saw Maddie. Dear, sweet Maddie.

What he regretted most was never telling her that he loved her.

And at that moment — with that thought — that stubborn part of Vlad's mind flared in rebellion.

 _I'm not_ going _to die._

 _Not without a fight._

Vlad forced his mind to dig down deep within himself, for that part of his being that so desperately craved life, and from it he gathered together the last bits of strength that he had left. With a tremendous effort, Vlad hauled himself to his feet, using the rough tree bark to pull himself up. He forced himself to push aside the pain, push aside the dizziness, push aside the exhaustion, and instead focus on putting one foot in front of the other…

 _Just one foot…_

 _… in front…_

 _… of the other…_

And then he was there, clutching on to the pay-phone as if it were a lifeline.

Which, in his case, it was.

Vlad reached for the receiver and held it to his ear as he dialed the emergency number with a shaking hand. As he listened to the phone ring, his vision once again began to swim, and he could feel himself fighting a losing battle with consciousness. _Please pick up, please pick up…_ Vlad thought desperately, closing his eyes to fight off another violent wave of dizziness.

Then came the words that made Vlad want to cry out in relief:

" _911, what's your emergency?"_

"I— I need an ambulance," Vlad said in a rush. "I'm somewhere along the Howard Termin Lakeshore Path, between the University of Wisconsin's science building and North Park street." He groaned suddenly as the pain in his chest once again began to flare up.

" _Sir, can you tell me what happened?"_

"I— l-lab accident," Vlad managed to stammer out before he was forced to clench his jaw to prevent himself from crying out as the pain intensified. "Hurry, _please_."

" _An ambulance has been dispatched. Sir, can you please tell me—"_

Suddenly, the voice cut off. Confused, Vlad looked down and realized that the receiver had fallen out of his hand and was now dangling from its cord just above the ground. _Huh…?_

He reached out with his right hand to grab it, but what he saw next made his blood run cold.

His entire right arm from the elbow down was missing.

Vlad screamed.

* * *

 **A/N:** The End!

Haha no, just kidding. However, it _is_ the end of Part One! This story is officially a third of the way done.

Poor Vlad, what a rough chapter for him. And that ending... It definitely was not one of Vlad's better days.

I re-watched Bitter Reunions and Masters of All Time so that I could make the portal accident scene as close to those episodes as possible (I'm sure you all recognized some of the dialogue). However, you probably also noticed that there were some new scenes and dialogue that I added in. This story has been building up to this moment for eleven chapters, and so I wanted to give the scene some more depth and content. Hopefully I gave it justice.

Before I go, I wanted to say that it may be a month or two before I am able to start posting chapters for Part Two. I apologize in advance for the long wait, but I want to finalize the plot outline before I continue so that I don't write myself into a gaping plot hole or dead end. That would not be good. Rest assured though, I will not abandon this story! I very much plan on seeing it through to the end.

So, definitely let me know your thoughts about this chapter! Did you like it? Yay? Nay? Thoughts on Part One as a whole? Leave a review and share your thoughts with me! Reviews always make me smile and motivate me to work faster. *Wink wink* Also, if you have anything that you were hoping to see later in this story, let me know in a review, or feel free to PM me - now's the best time to do so, because I'll be finalizing the rest of this story's plot over the next few weeks.

See you soon!

\- DreamsTH


End file.
